HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Defence Select Committee

Michael Dugher: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, which specialist advisers to the Defence Select Committee have been issued a photo parliamentary pass.

John Thurso: As at 20 June 2013, the current specialist advisers to the Defence Committee are as follows:
	Paul Beaver
	Professor Michael Clarke
	Christopher Donnelly
	Dr John Louth
	Major General Mungo Melvin
	Rear Admiral Christopher Snow
	Air Marshal Philip Sturley
	All the above specialist advisers have been issued with parliamentary passes, which are not valid beyond 2015.
	Details of specialist advisers from previous parliamentary sessions are published annually in the Sessional Return.

Energy and Climate Change Select Committee

Michael Dugher: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, which specialist advisers to the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee have been issued a photo parliamentary pass.

John Thurso: As at 20 June 2013, the current specialist advisers to the Energy and Climate Change Committee were as follows:
	Professor Derek Bunn
	Dr Robert Gross
	Marc Ozawa
	Dr Anthony White
	As at 20 June 2013, none of the above named had a parliamentary pass.
	Details of specialist advisers from previous parliamentary sessions are published annually in the Sessional Return.

Select Committees

Michael Dugher: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, which specialist advisers to select committees have declared relevant financial interests in the subject matter for which the committee they advise is responsible; and what those declarations were.

John Thurso: Before any Committee decides on their appointment, potential specialist advisers to Select Committees are required to declare their interests, financial or otherwise, in the area of the inquiry for which they are appointed. Financial interests may include employment, shareholdings, research contracts or consultancies, or similar arrangements. It is open to a Committee to decide that the interests so declared are incompatible with the person being appointed as an adviser for that inquiry. Specialist advisers are also asked to update their declared interests at the start of a new session or on reappointment.
	The appointment of specialist advisers, their interests, and any subsequent changes, are recorded in the formal minutes of each Committee. Formal minutes are published regularly on Committee websites.
	Committees are also advised to include the interests of advisers in reports, in a footnote, at the point where the Committee refers to the advisers who have assisted with that inquiry.

Select Committees

Michael Dugher: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the name is of each person who acts in an official capacity as a specialist adviser to a select committee.

John Thurso: A record of the work of Select Committees during each parliamentary session is recorded in the Sessional Return. The return for each Committee lists the name of each person who has acted in an official capacity as a specialist adviser to a Select Committee during that session.
	The Sessional Return for 2012-13 period is currently being prepared, and publication is expected in mid-July 2013.
	The Sessional Returns for previous sessions are available on the parliamentary website:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmsesret.htm#
	The names of specialist advisers, and any interests that they declare, are also recorded in each Committee's formal minutes, which are published regularly on the Committee website.

TRANSPORT

Air Routes: USA

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to creating route development funds to assist in the creation of additional air routes between the US and (a) the north east of England and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber.

Simon Burns: The state aid rules have been tightened in recent years and limit the ability of Government or regional bodies to support air services. The state aid rules may allow for funding of air services within the European Union, as well as for some airline costs such as marketing services. However they do not permit the funding of airlines' operating costs for long-haul air services.

Cycling

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what change there was in the number of miles cycled in 2012 compared with 2011; and what assessment he has made on whether any increase was the result of more people taking up cycling or extra trips by existing cyclists. [R]

Norman Baker: A time series of distance travelled in Great Britain per person per year by bicycle for 1995-2011 from the National Travel Survey (NTS) can be found in table NTS0305 at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/nts03-modal-comparisons
	NTS data for 2012 are not yet available, but are scheduled for publication on 30 July 2013.
	NTS measures of cycling are known to be volatile year-to-year because of the relatively small number of regular cyclists in the NTS sample. In 2011, 2% of all trips were made by bicycle, and the volatility reflects the difficulty in measuring this relatively uncommon mode of transport. Therefore, while long-term trends are likely to be informative, year-to-year movements in NTS estimates of cycling trips or cycling distance should be interpreted with caution.

SCOTLAND

European Arrest Warrants

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with legal authorities in Scotland on European arrest warrants.

David Mundell: The Government are currently reviewing a range of European law and order measures, which includes the European arrest warrant.

European Arrest Warrants

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with legal authorities in Scotland on European arrest warrants.

David Mundell: The Government is currently reviewing a range of European law and order measures, which includes European arrest warrants.

Energy Bill

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with energy generators in Scotland on the Energy Bill.

Michael Moore: I hold regular discussions with energy generators in Scotland about a range of issues, including the important changes being delivered under the new Energy Bill.

Living Standards

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of recent trends in living standards in Scotland.

Gemma Doyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of recent trends in living standards in Scotland.

David Mundell: In tough economic times the Government are working hard to secure a fairer society and a strong economy to succeed in the global race. Measures we have taken forward which particularly benefit Scotland include the fuel duty increases and lifting 224,000 people out of income tax.

Economic Performance

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent assessment he has made of the performance of the economy in Scotland.

Michael Moore: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Motherwell and Wishaw (Mr Roy).

Common Agricultural Policy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had on the potential effects of the most recent proposals for reform of the common agricultural policy on Scotland; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Moore: Last week I had extensive discussions with the Scottish farming industry at the Royal Highland Show. I am in regular discussions with DEFRA Ministers on implications of CAP reforms for Scotland.

Superfast Broadband

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with Ministers in the Scottish Government on the delivery of superfast broadband to the Highlands and Islands.

David Mundell: The Government has made £100 million available to the Scottish Government to deliver rural broadband projects in Scotland. It is the responsibility of the Scottish Government to deliver on this and we are closely monitoring the roll-out of these projects.

WALES

Devolution

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he plans to announce the Government's response to the Commission on Devolution in Wales Part 1 Report; and what the reason is for the time taken to respond.

David Jones: The Commission on Devolution in Wales made 33 recommendations that have required detailed analysis within Government. Following our autumn statement, we have made good, positive progress in our assessment of the recommendations and we expect to make an announcement in the very near future.

Legal Aid Scheme

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has held with ministerial colleagues on the effect on Wales of planned changes to legal aid.

David Jones: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 17 June 2013, Official Report, column 466W, to the hon. Member for Newport East (Jessica Morden).

HOME DEPARTMENT

Police: Recruitment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effect of charging for a certificate of knowledge on police recruitment from (a) black and ethnic minority communities and (b) deprived neighbourhoods.

Damian Green: No specific assessment has been made of the effect of charging for a certificate of knowledge on police recruitment from (a) black and ethnic minority communities and (b) deprived neighbourhoods.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Fire Services

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on proposals to make police and crime commissioners responsible for fire service provision.

Brandon Lewis: Ministers within the Department for Communities and Local Government regularly meet colleagues from other Departments to discuss a range of matters.

Fire Services

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions he has had with (a) representatives of private sector fire industry firms and (b) the European Commission on the compliance with European state aid regulations of the use by fire brigades of public resources to promote risk management community interest companies which seek private sector contracts.

Brandon Lewis: I have had no discussions with representatives of private sector fire industry firms or with the European Commission on this issue.

Flood Control

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much of the Coalfield Regeneration Fund has been used to assist companies developing new flood protection technologies; and in which coalfield regions such funding has been allocated.

Mark Prisk: Our partners in the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and Coalfields Growth and Enterprise Funds, inform us that none of their funding has been used to assist companies developing new flood protection technologies. Funding decisions are a matter for these local bodies, rather than Ministers.

Housing: Construction

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much Government-owned land has been released (a) in total and (b) by each Government department for housing in the last six months. [R]

Mark Prisk: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 1 February 2013, Official Report, columns 975-76W. The following table gives the housing capacity of the land released under the public sector land programme as at 31 March 2013. This is the latest data available.
	
		
			  Housing capacity released to 31 March 2013 
			 DEFRA 9,092 
			 MOD 13,784 
			 DH (includes NHS trusts) 7,106 
			 DFT 3,502 
			 DCLG (inc. HCA) 8,513 
			 Other(1) 5,176 
			 Total 47,173 
			 (1) This includes small landholding Departments such as MOJ, HO, and DCMS and other public corporations. 
		
	
	This represents almost half of our ambition to release land capable of delivering up to 100,000 homes by April 2015.

Local Government: North East

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers he plans to devolve to the proposed North East Combined Authority from 1 April 2014 to enable it to promote better transport, skills and economic development.

Brandon Lewis: The Government's response to the Heseltine report welcomed the intention of the seven local authorities of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership to form a combined authority. It is for those councils to include, in their proposals, the powers they would want that combined authority to have. Having regard to those proposals, and following consultation, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), may, if he is satisfied the proposals meet the statutory criteria for combined authorities, and if Parliament approves, make an Order establishing the combined authority and specifying its powers.

Urban Areas: Regeneration

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the Portas Review on the future of high streets, published in December 2011, what progress has been made on bringing forward legislative proposals to allow landlords to become high street investors by contributing to their local business improvement district.

Mark Prisk: Business improvement districts are an important tool for growth and this is already recognised by landlords who are voluntarily contributing to individual projects. In our response to the Portas Review we committed to explore with industry experts how a formal property owner business improvement district scheme may be delivered, within the provisions of the Business Rate Supplement Act 2009. Further to that work in England we are aiming to issue a consultation paper on how a scheme may work shortly. Any legislation implementing a formal property owner business improvement district scheme will be subject to that consultation.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Alternatives to Prosecution

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many indictable-only offences were disposed of by the Crown Prosecution Service by a final warning in 2012-13 and in each of the preceding seven years by offence category.

Oliver Heald: It is not possible to identify pre-charge requests where a final warning was recommended following an admission of guilt to an indictable only offence without reviewing individual files at disproportionate cost. Pre-charge requests cannot be split by offence categories as these categories are only allocated at the end of a prosecution case.

Crown Prosecution Service

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General on how many occasions decisions of the Crown Prosecution Service have been challenged via judicial review in each of the last five years; and how many such challenges were successful.

Oliver Heald: Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has maintained centrally recorded data on the number of judicial reviews for the last two years. The total number of finalised judicial reviews recorded was 102 in 2011-12 and 110 in 2012-13. No central record has been kept of the number of reviews for earlier years and such information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
	The data includes judicial reviews where the CPS was the applicant as well as those where the CPS was the respondent. It is not possible to show only specific challenges made against the CPS because this information is not held centrally.

Police Cautions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney-General how many indictable-only offences were disposed of by the Crown Prosecution Service by a (a) formal caution and (b) conditional caution in 2012-13 and in each of the preceding seven years by offence category.

Oliver Heald: The CPS will only recommend a formal caution or conditional caution for an indictable only offence in exceptional circumstances where the prosecutor has concluded that the public interest does not require the immediate prosecution of the offender. Such a decision will take into account the particular circumstances of the offence or the offender and could involve considerations such as whether a prosecution is likely to have an adverse effect on the victim's physical or mental health.
	The number of indictable only defendant prosecutions that were disposed of by way of either a formal caution or conditional caution is set out in a table which has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Training

Priti Patel: To ask the Attorney-General how many officials in (a) the Law Officers' Departments and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which they are responsible enrolled in publicly-funded training courses in each of the last five years; what the total cost has been of such courses; and what the monetary value was of the 10 highest training course fees in each such year.

Oliver Heald: Tables containing the information requested have been placed in the Library of the House.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was allocated to seaside towns by each regional development agency in each year for which information is available.

Michael Fallon: This information is not available.

Community Interest Companies

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many community interest companies were created in 2012.

Michael Fallon: Companies House has confirmed that 2,087 community interest companies were created in 2012.

Companies: Ownership

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the adequacy of resources available to Companies House to enable it to compile and administer the register of beneficial ownership of UK companies which is to be created following the commitment by the Prime Minister at the G8 summit at Lough Erne; when he expects the first such register to be completed; and what public access to the register he expects to be available.

Michael Fallon: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will publish a discussion paper on corporate transparency before September 2013. This will invite views on the implementation of a central registry of information on companies' beneficial ownership, including whether there will be public access to this information and how the registry will be maintained by Companies House. This will allow us to establish the resource implications for Companies House. We plan to introduce reforms before the end of this Parliament.

Credit

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to ensure greater transparency in the consumer credit market; and if he will bring forward proposals to mandate all lenders to show the total cost of credit.

Jo Swinson: The Government have taken a number of steps, working with industry, to ensure greater transparency in the consumer credit market. Some of the measures include:
	credit card issuers providing customers with annual statements. These give customers a clear view of how they have managed their credit card over the previous 12 months, setting out costs and charges;
	annual bank statements for personal current accounts which show customers how much their current account has cost them over the year and help them decide whether they are getting a good deal from their bank;
	introduction by the major banks of balance alerts which are sent to a customer when their current account balance is low, and in some cases when they are about to go into their unarranged overdraft, so they can take action to avoid charges; and
	the midata programme, where we are working with industry representatives including banks and credit card providers to give those consumers requesting it safe and ready access to their own transactions data in electronically readable and editable format to help inform their future decisions.
	The Consumer Credit Directive was implemented in the UK in 2011 and made changes to the advertising of credit with the intention of making it more intelligible for consumers, including with regard to the total cost of credit.
	The directive requires that where an advertisement includes an interest rate or any amount relating to the cost of the credit, then a representative example of the credit on offer must also be included in the advertisement.
	The representative example includes comprehensive information including: a representative APR, the total amount of credit (i.e. the credit limit), any charges as part of the total cost of credit, the cash price (when linked to the supply of good or services) and the total amount payable.

Credit

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to promote access to credit in the retail market.

Jo Swinson: The Government wants to help low income consumers to access reliable, affordable credit. To that end, Government have committed to a further investment of up to £38 million to April 2015 to support participating credit unions to provide financial services, including affordable credit, for up to 1 million more consumers in a way that will enable credit unions to modernise expand and become financially sustainable.

CABINET OFFICE

Agriculture: Barnsley

Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in Barnsley East constituency are employed in the agriculture sector.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013
	.
	Annual employment statistics are available from the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES). Due to the ONS policy on statistical rounding and disclosure for BRES, employment values are rounded to the nearest 100. As such, the number of people in Barnsley East constituency employed in the agriculture sector is less than 50 and therefore rounds to zero.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk

Community Development

Michael Dugher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Big Society community organisers have been trained to date.

Nick Hurd: As at the end of April, 1,168 community organisers have been trained, including 311 senior community organisers.

Death

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the mortality rates were for working age (a) men and (b) women (i) nationally, (ii) in each constituent part of the UK and (iii) in each region in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the mortality rates were for working age (a) men and (b) women (i) nationally and (ii) in each constituent part of the UK and each region in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement (161811)
	Table 1 provides age-standardised mortality rates for males and females aged 16 to 64 years in the UK, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and regions of England, for deaths registered between 2002 and 2011 (the latest year available). A copy of Table 1 has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	The number of deaths registered in England and Wales, by sex, age group and underlying cause of death are available on the ONS website:
	www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/mortality-statistics--deaths-registered-in-england-and-wales--series-dr-/index.html
	Mortality data for Scotland are available from National Records of Scotland:
	www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/statistics/theme/vital-events/deaths/index.html
	Mortality data for Northern Ireland are available from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency:
	www.nisra.gov.uk/demography/default.asp14.htm

Employment: Norfolk

Simon Wright: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate his Department has made of the net change in the number of people employed in (a) Norfolk and (b) Norwich South constituency in each of the last five years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking what estimate his department has made of the net change in the number of people employed in (a) Norfolk and (b) Norwich South in each of the last five years. (161810)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles employment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions. However, estimates of the net change in employment for the requested periods in Norwich South constituency are not available, due to small sample sizes.
	The table shows the number and net change of people employed in Norfolk. These estimates are compiled from APS interviews held during the period January 2012 to December 2012, the latest period available, and the 12 month periods ending in December in each year since 2008.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Net change in the number of people employed in Norfolk 
			 Thousand 
			 12 months ending December: Number of people employed aged 16 and over Net change in employment(1) (+/-) 
			 2008 383 n/a 
			 2009 400 17 
			 2010 393 -7 
			 2011 409 16 
			 2012(2) **418 9 
			 (1) The net change is calculated on unrounded figures. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates. See Guide to Quality following. Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 = CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 = CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 = CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV = 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey

Government Departments: Procurement

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent assessment he has made of the performance of his Department's efforts to open up Government procurement to British small and medium-sized enterprises.

Chloe Smith: It is this Government's aspiration that, by the end of this Parliament, 25% of direct and indirect Government procurement by value should go to SMEs. Spend with SMEs across Government has steadily increased since 2010 as a result of the steps we have taken. We have required all Departments to put in place plans to ensure that their spend with small companies continues to increase.
	The Cabinet Office will be publishing a further report on progress shortly.
	The Government is also providing industry with visibility of up to £79 billion of potential procurement opportunities across 18 sectors by publishing pipelines of future demand, meaning that British firms of all sizes will be in a good position to gear up in order to deliver Government's needs.

Honours: Scotland

Gregg McClymont: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his answer of 17 June 2013, Official Report, column 514W, on honours: Scotland, what the name is of each person nominated to the Honours Committee since May 2007 who has subsequently received an honour.

Francis Maude: These nominations will have originated from a number of sources, such as the Scottish Government itself, the voluntary and private sectors and from members of the public. All nominations received for people living and working in Scotland are sent, in the first instance, to the Scottish Government. A list of the successful candidates submitted by the Scottish Government to the Cabinet Office for consideration by the independent Honours Committees since May 2007 will be placed in the Library of the House.

Life Expectancy

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the life expectancy at birth was for (a) men and (b) women (i) nationally, (ii) in each constituent part of the UK and (iii) in each region in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Secretary of State for Health what the life expectancy at birth is for (a) men and (b) women (i) nationally and (ii) in each constituent part of the UK and each region in each of the last 10 years. (161812)
	Life expectancy figures are calculated as three year rolling averages. Table 1 provides the period life expectancy at birth for males and females in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, English Regions and the UK for the period 1999-2001 to 2008-2010 {the latest figures available). A copy of Table 1 has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	Period life expectancies at birth for males and females for the UK, each constituent part of the UK arid each region, for rolling three-year periods from 1991-1993 onwards are published on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/subnational-health4/life-expec-at-birth-age-65/index.html

Ovarian Cancer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people in the UK have ovarian cancer; what the age group is of such people; and what their life expectancy is.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013
	.
	The Office for National Statistics maintains the national cancer registry for England. Cancer statistics published by ONS are therefore for England only. Figures for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are available from the Cancer Registries representing those countries.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2011.
	Table 1 provides the number of newly diagnosed cases of ovarian cancer in women in England, by five year age group for the year 2011. Please note that these numbers may not be the same as the number of women diagnosed with cancer, because one person may be diagnosed with more than one cancer.
	Estimates of life expectancy for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer are not available. ONS publishes one and five-year cancer net survival estimates for England, for 21 common cancers. Ovarian cancer is one of these common cancers. Table 2 provides one and five-year net survival estimates for those women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006-2010.
	The latest published figures on cancer incidence in England are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/cancer-statistics-registrations--england--series-mb1-/index.html
	The latest published figures on cancer survival in England are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www:ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/cancer-unit/cancer-survival/index.html
	
		
			 Table 1: Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of ovarian cancer(1) by 5-year age group, England, 2011(2, 3) 
			 Age group Registrations 
			 <1 — 
			 1-4 — 
			 5-9 2 
			 10-14 5 
			 15-19 22 
			 20-24 40 
			 25-29 91 
			 30-34 92 
			 35-39 128 
			 40-44 236 
			 45-49 356 
			 50-54 451 
			 55-59 474 
			 60-64 727 
			 65-69 675 
			 70-74 695 
			 75-79 605 
			 80-84 497 
			 85+ 497 
			 Total 5,593 
			 (1) Cancer of the ovary is coded as C56 according to the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision (ICD-10). (2) Cancer incidence figures are based on newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year. (3 )Based on boundaries as of May 2013. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: One-year and five-year net survival (percentage)(1), with 95% confidence intervals (CI)(2), for women (15-99 years)(3) diagnosed with ovarian cancer(4) during 2006-2010: England 
			   One-year survival Five-year survival 
			 Age group Number of patients Percentage 95% CI Percentage 95% CI 
			 Age-standardised 27,466 72.7 72.1 73.3 44.0 43.0 45.0 
			 Un-standardised  70.0 69.4 70.5 42.4 41.6 43.3 
			 15-39 1,928 95 94 96 87 85 89 
			 40-49 2,845 91 90 92 69 67 71 
			 50-59 4,895 85 84 86 55 53 57 
			 60-69 6,990 77 76 78 40 38 41 
			 70-79 6,196 61 59 62 28 27 30 
			 80-99 4,612 33 32 34 17 15 19 
			 (1) Net survival is an estimate of the probability of survival for the given time after diagnosis of the cancer, assuming that no other cause of death occurs. (2) A 95% confidence interval is a measure of the uncertainty around an estimate. It provides a range around the estimated value within which we have a 95% level of confidence that the true value for the population is likely to fall. (3) All women (aged 15-99 years) in England who were diagnosed during 2006-2010 with ovarian cancer as an invasive, primary, malignant neoplasm were eligible for analysis. Ineligible patients were those whose tumour was benign (not malignant) or in situ (malignant but not invasive) or of uncertain behaviour (uncertain whether benign or malignant), or for which the organ of origin was unknown. (4) Ovarian cancer is coded as C56 in the international Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Source: Office for National Statistics and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Prostate Cancer

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  how many people have been diagnosed with prostate cancer in each year from 2007 to 2012;
	(2)  what the age group of those diagnosed with prostate cancer was in each year since 2007.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013
	; and (b) what the age group of those diagnosed with prostate cancer was in each year since 2007 [161828].
	The Office, for National Statistics maintains, the national cancer registry for England. Cancer statistics published by ONS are therefore for England only. Figures for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are available from the Cancer. Registries representing those countries.
	The latest available figures for newly diagnosed cases of cancer (incidence) are for the year 2011.
	Table 1 provides the number of newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer in men in England, by five year age group for each of the years 2007 to 2011.
	Please note that these numbers may not be the same as the number of men diagnosed with prostate cancer, because a man may be diagnosed with more than one primary prostate cancer over time, although this is rare.
	The latest published figures on cancer incidence in England are available on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/cancer-statistics-registrations--england--series-mb1-/index.html
	
		
			 Table 1: Registrations of newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer(1) by 5-year age group, England, 2007-2011(2,3) 
			 Registrations 
			  Year 
			 Age group 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 
			 <1 — — — — 1 
			 1-4 — 1 — 1 — 
			 5-9 — — — — — 
			 10-14 — 1 — 2 — 
			 15-19 1 — 1 1 — 
			 20-24 — — — 1 — 
			 25-29 1 — — — 1 
			 30-34 — — 2 1 — 
			 35-39 4 5 6 6 7 
			 40-44 50 58 64 58 57 
			 45-49 183 229 314 292 340 
		
	
	
		
			 50-54 819 826 1,003 984 1,060 
			 55-59 2,437 2,355 2,539 2,427 2,535 
			 60-64 4,381 4,660 5,123 5,146 5,213 
			 65-69 5,748 5,753 6,557 6,852 6,941 
			 70-74 6,195 6,167 6,950 6,936 6,828 
			 75-79 5,674 5,770 6,146 6,225 6,053 
			 80-84 3,757 3,702 3,874 3,783 3,711 
			 85+ 2,909 2,925 3,098 2,987 2,820 
			 Total 32,159 32,452 35,677 35,702 35,567 
			 (1) Cancer of the prostate is coded as C61 according to the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision (ICD-10) (2) Cancer incidence figures are based on newly diagnosed cases registered in each calendar year. (3) Based on boundaries as of May 2013. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS)

Unemployment: Coastal Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the unemployment rate was in each of the principal seaside towns in each of the last 30 years.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, dated June 2013
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking what the unemployment rate was in each of the principal seaside towns in each of the last 30 years (161846).
	Although not a standard ONS geography, the concept of principal seaside towns in Great Britain was covered in the report “The Seaside Economy”, by Beatty and Fothergill (Sheffield Hallam University, June 2003 (updated June 2010)) and has been referred to in parliamentary debate and used for other parliamentary questions on a number of occasions since. There is no equivalent definition of seaside towns for Northern Ireland.
	Estimates of unemployment are not produced for the principal seaside towns in Great Britain. Instead we have provided estimates relating to the local authorities associated with each of these towns using model based estimates of unemployment for the 12 month periods ending in December for 2004 to 2012. Estimates are not available for earlier periods from this source.
	These figures, along with a wide range of other labour market data for parliamentary constituencies and local authorities, are also published on the Office for National Statistics' Nomis website:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			 Table 1: Unemployment rate(1) in principal seaside towns 
			 Percentage 
			   12 months ending December 
			 Principal seaside town Local authority 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Bognor Regis Arun 3.3 3.6 4.3 3.9 4.3 6.1 6.7 6.3 4.9 
			 Blackpool Blackpool 5.0 5.9 6.1 6.4 6.5 8.8 10.0 10.6 9.8 
			 Bournemouth Bournemouth 4.1 4.1 4.4 4.4 5.2 8.5 7.4 7.4 6.7 
			 Brighton Brighton and Hove 6.3 6.4 6.8 6.5 6.9 8.0 7.5 7.7 8.2 
			 Whitstable/Herne Bay Canterbury 4.0 4.2 6.1 4.2 4.7 6.0 7.1 7.0 7.1 
			 Falmouth Cornwall 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.4 4.4 5.7 6.8 6.4 5.9 
		
	
	
		
			 Newquay Cornwall 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.4 4.4 5.7 6.8 6.4 5.9 
			 Penzance Cornwall 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.4 4.4 5.7 6.8 6.4 5.9 
			 St. Ives Cornwall 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.4 4.4 5.7 6.8 6.4 5.9 
			 Deal Dover 4.9 5.0 6.4 5.3 5.3 6.5 8.3 7.8 7.7 
			 Sidmouth East Devon 2.5 2.8 3.0 3.2 3.1 3.9 5.0 5.4 3.9 
			 Skegness East Lindsey 3.8 3.9 5.3 5.2 5.1 5.8 6.6 7.2 7.2 
			 Bridlington East Riding of Yorkshire 3.4 3.6 4.6 3.8 4.3 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.9 
			 Eastbourne Eastbourne 5.4 5.2 6.1 6.2 5.8 8.1 6.8 7.0 7.6 
			 Great Yarmouth Great Yarmouth 6.3 7.1 7.6 6.4 8.0 8.4 9.5 10.8 9.2 
			 Hastings/Bexhill Hastings 6.6 6.3 6.9 7.1 8.0 8.0 10.4 9.7 10.0 
			 Isle of Wight Isle of Wight 4.1 4.2 4.8 5.6 5.9 7.4 9.4 9.1 8.1 
			 Morecambe and Heysham Lancaster 5.8 5.4 5.2 5.1 6.0 6.4 5.5 6.2 7.5 
			 Ilfracombe North Devon 3.4 3.7 4.0 4.1 4.4 5.3 6.4 5.9 4.5 
			 Weston-super-Mare North Somerset 2.9 2.9 2.6 2.9 3.6 5.7 5.4 5.8 6.3 
			 Whitley Bay North Tyneside 5.2 5.6 6.5 5.8 6.8 8.5 8.9 9.8 9.9 
			 Swanage Purbeck 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.7 3.7 5.1 4.6 4.4 
			 Scarborough Scarborough 4.0 4.0 5.6 5.5 5.6 7.9 9.5 7.6 8.8 
			 Whitby Scarborough 4.0 4.0 5.6 5.5 5.6 7.9 9.5 7.6 8.8 
			 Burnham-on-Sea Sedgemoor 3.3 3.2 4.2 4.4 4.7 7.4 7.6 7.2 6.7 
			 Southport Sefton 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.3 6.1 8.1 8.9 9.4 8.5 
			 Folkstone/Hythe Shepway 4.7 4.7 5.9 6.2 5.6 6.9 9.6 7.9 7.0 
			 Southend-on-Sea Southend-on-Sea 5.2 5.2 5.9 5.8 5.9 7.6 7.7 8.5 7.9 
			 Dawlish/Teignmouth Teignbridge 2.7 2.7 2.9 3.6 3.2 4.9 5.2 5.8 4.8 
			 Exmouth Teignbridge 2.7 2.7 2.9 3.6 3.2 4.9 5.2 5.8 4.8 
			 Clacton Tendring 3.8 4.5 6.1 5.9 6.3 6.9 8.9 9.3 8.7 
			 Thanet Thanet 5.2 6.4 7.4 7.1 7.3 7.9 9.6 13.2 10.9 
			 Torbay Torbay 4.1 4.6 5.3 5.1 6.0 7.9 9.6 8.9 7.5 
			 Lowestoft Waveney 4.5 5.1 7.0 6.1 5.5 6.3 8.5 8.6 8.6 
			 Minehead West Somerset 3.4 4.4 5.3 4.9 4.7 4.4 4.6 5.3 4.8 
			 Weymouth Weymouth and Portland 3.7 3.4 4.1 4.1 4.5 7.2 7.8 7.5 6.1 
			 Worthing Worthing 3.3 3.6 4.5 4.6 4.9 6.7 6.5 6.2 6.6 
			 Porthcawl Bridgend 4.2 5.5 6.2 6.1 6.6 9.0 8.2 8.1 8.7 
			 Llandudno/ Colwyn Bay/Conwy Conwy 3.6 4.1 4.8 4.6 5.7 6.5 7.1 7.5 6.6 
			 Rhyl/Prestatyn Denbighshire 3.6 4.1 4.7 4.9 6.1 7.0 8.3 7.1 7.1 
			 Barry The Vale of Glamorgan 4.7 4.9 4.7 5.0 6.0 8.0 7.9 7.5 7.8 
			 Dunoon Argyll and Bute 4.2 4.4 3.9 4.0 4.3 5.6 6.2 6.9 6.3 
			 Greater Ayr South Ayrshire 6.0 5.6 5.6 5.0 5.2 7.7 9.0 9.7 9.2 
			 (1) Number of unemployed divided by the number of economically active. Source: Model based estimates of unemployment

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what equipment he proposes will (a) remain at Lashkar Gah, (b) be moved to Camp Bastion and (c) be returned to the UK;
	(2)  when the last service person stationed in Lashkar Gah will leave.

Andrew Robathan: Future base reductions will be carried out in line with UK withdrawal plans. As part of these plans the UK base in Lashkar Gar is due to be closed in 2014.
	Equipment and material will only be redeployed from Afghanistan once operational commanders are content that it is no longer required. In some cases we will not redeploy material because it is beyond economic repair or does not represent good value for money to return it to the UK. If we decide not to redeploy an item we have several options for disposal; these include sale, scrap and gifting.

Freedom of Information

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to reply to the Freedom of Information request from the hon. Member for Bridgend, reference MM/JH/29/04/2013 dated 29 April 2013.

Philip Dunne: A response was sent to the hon. Member on 26 June 2013.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Energy Companies Obligation

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 14 May 2013, Official Report, column 155W, on the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO), if he will take steps to collect data on the number of (a) oil-fired boilers and (b) LPG-fired boilers installed under the ECO scheme.

Gregory Barker: We will be publishing information relating to ECO measures which have been delivered and notified to Ofgem in an Official Statistics release on 27 June. However, this data will not be able to distinguish between oil-fired and LPG-fired boilers. For further information about measures available under ECO please see:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/Environment/ ECO/Info-for-suppliers/Documents1/Energy%20Companies%20Obligation%20ECO%20-%20List%20of%20Measures%20and%20Additional%20 Information.pdf

Energy: Prices

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate his Department has made of the average annual energy bill for (a) dual fuel and (b) non-dual fuel for customers paying (i) standard credit, (ii) direct debit and (iii) pre-payment in each region.

Michael Fallon: DECC does not publish estimates of energy bills for dual fuel and non-dual fuel customers. However, it does produce estimates of annual gas and standard electricity bills for customers paying by standard credit, direct debit and pre-payment meter in various towns and cities in the UK (representing the regions). These can be found in table 2.2.3 (standard electricity) and 2.3.3 (gas) of the Quarterly Energy Prices (QEP) publication:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/annual-domestic-energy-price-statistics
	These bills are based on an assumed level of consumption of 3,300 kWh of standard electricity and 18,000 kWh of gas per year. Dual fuel discounts vary considerably between suppliers.

Public Expenditure

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the equality impact of his Department's spending reductions since 2010; whether this assessment has been used to inform his planning ahead of the 2013 Comprehensive Spending Review and with what result; what plans he has to publish the equality impact assessments undertaken by his Department as a result of the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change considers equality issues in exercising its functions, including in setting priorities within its budget, in order to comply with equality legislation and to ensure it understands how its activities will affect specific groups in society.
	DECC provided HM Treasury with an equalities assessment of its main areas of expenditure, as well as some additional areas of spending that have particular equalities impacts, both before and during the spending round process.
	DECC's overall spending round submission was informed by its own equality assessments and by the SR equalities assessment commissioned by HMT.
	This Government has been clear that producing formal Equality Impact Assessment documents are not required in order to ensure compliance with the legal responsibility to consider equality impacts.
	The assessment of equalities feeds in to both spending round decisions and future decisions by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The outcome of the spending round will be published today.

Termination of Employment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on how many occasions (a) a compromise agreement, (b) a confidentiality clause and (c) judicial mediation was used when an employee of (i) his Department and (ii) the public bodies for which he is responsible left their employment in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: Our records show that 11 compromise agreements and two judicial mediations were concluded in the period from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2013. As the numbers by year are too small to report this represents the total number of agreements and judicial mediations across the Department of Energy and Climate Change and its non-departmental public bodies (NDPB's).
	Typically all agreements will include a confidentiality clause preventing disclosure of the terms of the settlement to anyone other than the employee or former employees immediate family, professional adviser or as otherwise required by law.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Belarus

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage the development of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Belarus.

David Lidington: The UK works with international partners, and multilateral organisations, including the UN, Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the Council of Europe, as well as with Belarusian civil society and relevant parts of the Government, to promote reform in Belarus. The UK remains a strong supporter of the EU's policy of critical engagement with Belarus, including restrictive measures. On 15 October 2012 the EU's Foreign Affairs Council extended sanctions to a year. We welcomed the UN Human Rights Council's 13 June extension of the mandate of a Special Rapporteur on Belarus. We continue to urge the Government of Belarus to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur. I met Belarus human rights defenders on 5 June and stressed UK opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances. In my statement following the meeting, I urged Belarus to introduce a moratorium on executions immediately, and release and rehabilitate all political prisoners.

Billing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the savings it could achieve by paying its suppliers early in return for rebates.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office adheres to the Government's prompt payment code and aims to pays its suppliers within 10 working days as stated on our website. Our standard payment terms remain at 30 days. We have not undertaken any specific exercise to evaluate savings to be made from making payments earlier than 10 days.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the prospects for long-term stability in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: This Government believes that the strongest way to ensure the long-term stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina is through membership of the EU and NATO. Our assessment is that there has not been any substantive progress toward this goal this year. Current political crises in the Federation and in Mostar and continuing ethnic tensions show that stability is not yet entrenched. We will continue to encourage Bosnia and Herzegovina's political leaders to make the reforms needed for progress towards the EU and NATO, and in so doing help ensure the long-term stability of the country.

Burma

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the treatment by the Burmese Army of ethnic minority peoples in that country.

Hugo Swire: We note the involvement of senior Burmese military in the most recent talks between the Kachin Independence Organisation and the Burmese Government in May, the outcomes of which I welcomed in a statement on 6 June.
	However, we are very concerned by reports from a number of sources, including from the UN Special Rapporteur for Burma, Tomas Quintana in February 2013, which have set out incidents of forced labour, rape and sexual violence, arbitrary detention and other human rights violations by the Burmese military. Many of these abuses have been reported in ethnic areas, including in Kachin, Shan and Karen states.
	We continue to raise our concerns about human rights, particularly in ethnic areas, on a regular basis in meetings with senior Burmese Ministers. We appointed a Defence Attaché to Burma in February 2013 to build relationships with the Burmese military. The Chief of Defence Staff visited Burma from 2-4 June, where he met with Burma's President, Commander in Chief, lead negotiators in the peace process and ethnic leaders. He emphasised to them the importance of professionalising the Burmese military and pursuing a sustainable peace process in Burma's ethnic areas. The focus of our defence engagement in Burma will be on adherence to the core principles of democratic accountability and human rights. We want to see a Burmese army that protects and respects, and is in turn respected by, the Burmese people.

Colombia

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 June 2013, Official Report, column 485W, on Colombia, what response he has received from the Colombian Attorney General; if he will place a copy of this response in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: We are expecting a reply to our letter of 11 June shortly. We will also place a copy in the Library of the House.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether awareness-raising seminars on human trafficking are organised for his Department's staff prior to posting abroad.

Hugo Swire: Staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) do not receive awareness-raising seminars on human trafficking prior to posting abroad. The activities that the FCO undertakes to combat trafficking overseas are political lobbying and intervention and reintegration projects, as mandated through the Government strategy. As such, there is little front-line contact of staff with potential victims, particularly in a first responder role overseas.
	Human trafficking training is mandatory for all Home Office Immigration and Visas staff who manage and process applications under this system. This helps them to identify those who might have been trafficked and understand the steps that should be taken to safeguard possible victims. In addition, seminars and conferences are arranged with local partners in countries where there is a known threat.

Sexual Offences

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how he plans to measure the success of the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative up to the planned review of this issue by the G8 in 2015.

Mark Simmonds: The FCO team, together with other UK Government Departments is developing a G8 implementation plan. This identifies who is responsible for the various commitments made in the April G8 Declaration. The FCO will monitor the progress of this plan on a regular basis with DFID, the MOD and the UN. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), will continue to report on progress in respect of G8 implementation to his Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative Steering Board, which includes senior representatives from NGOs and civil society.
	We will continue to monitor the impact of the ongoing political campaign on PSVI as well as our practical action. This will involve an assessment of the extent to which it has encouraged greater national and international commitment and action. An example of a successful outcome was the signing of a Joint Communique between the UN and the Government of Somalia on action on sexual violence at the London conference in May. The UK's work with the Federal Government of Somalia in its preparations helped provide the foundations for the Federal Government of Somalia to work with the UN on sexual violence in the future.

Sexual Offences

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department's funding for the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative will be made available; and how that funding will be delivered.

Mark Simmonds: Since preventing sexual violence in conflict is critical to addressing long term conflict reduction and peace building, funds are currently allocated to the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative from geographical Conflict Pool programmes.
	On 11 April, at the launch of the G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), also announced £5 million, over three years, of FCO funding to support grassroots and human rights projects on sexual violence in conflict, and wider projects to tackle violence against women and girls. This will be provided through the Human Rights and Democracy programme, the FCO's dedicated source of funding for human rights projects overseas. The open bidding round for these funds will be announced in July on the FCO's website. Funding will be allocated to high quality proposals in line with the bidding criteria. We expect that the majority of projects will be implemented by local or international civil society organisations, overseen by UK Embassies and High Commissions.

Sexual Offences

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has to discuss the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative at the UN General Assembly Ministerial Week.

Mark Simmonds: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), intends to host a high level side event during the UN General Assembly Ministerial Week. The purpose of which is to take the political campaign on preventing sexual violence in conflict to a wider UN audience and press for more concerted action . We hope as many countries as possible will join us in endorsing a high level statement of action.

Sexual Offences

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that projects specifically for children receive funding from the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative.

Mark Simmonds: The Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) recognises that sexual violence in conflict not only affects women, but also men and children. Our work reflects this and aims to support all survivors of sexual violence. For example, the UK team of experts includes experts in investigating and prosecuting sexual crimes committed against children, providing psychosocial assistance and medical treatment to child survivors and multi-disciplinary gender-based violence and child protection responses.
	On 11 April, at the launch of the G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), announced £5 million (over three years) of FCO funding to support grassroots and human rights projects on sexual violence in conflict. Funding will be allocated to high quality proposals. All organisations and NGOs who are eligible can bid for funds, including those working directly in support of children affected by sexual violence in conflict.
	The G8 Declaration contains a number of commitments specific to children, including the deployment of Child Protection Advisers within appropriate UN and other peacekeeping operations to ensure that children are protected in conflict situations: assisting conflict-affected countries to ensure that their national security sector and justice reform programmes are child centred; and support for the mandate of the UN Secretary General's Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict. At the launch of the Declaration the Foreign Secretary announced £150,000 funding to the Office of the UN Secretary General's Special Representative on Children in Armed Conflict. These measures, alongside the broader provisions of the Declaration, reflect a clear determination to address the issue of sexual violence committed against Children in conflict.

Sudan and South Sudan

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the implementation of UN Resolution 1591 with regards to Sudan and South Sudan.

Mark Simmonds: It is deeply concerning that eight years after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1591, there is still ongoing conflict in Darfur, and that the security situation has worsened since the start of 2013. A factor in this insecurity is the continuing supply of weapons to all parties to the conflict in Darfur in contravention of the arms embargo in UNSCR 1591. Alongside UNAMID, the Panel of Experts established by UNSCR 1591 remains a key monitoring mechanism, providing the Security Council with regular briefings and reports on the situation in Darfur. The UK continues to value and support the work of the Panel of Experts. Four individuals have been sanctioned on the recommendation of the Panel, though the Sudanese Authorities have failed to fully enforce the travel ban and asset freeze implied by that sanctioning. The EU have implemented a wider arms embargo on the whole of Sudan and South Sudan.

Termination of Employment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions (a) a compromise agreement, (b) a confidentiality clause and (c) judicial mediation was used when an employee of (i) his Department and (ii) the public bodies for which he is responsible left their employment in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the public bodies for which it is responsible have settled fewer than five cases using (a) compromise agreements, (b) confidentiality clauses or (c) judicial mediation in each year since 2010 for UK-based FCO staff working in both the UK and at our overseas posts. To avoid the possibility of revealing the identities of individual staff the FCO does not disclose more detailed information when overall numbers amount to fewer than five. This is in line with Cabinet Office guidance.

Turkey

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding the Government has allocated to BBC Turkish Services since 6 May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The BBC World Service currently receives Grant-in-Aid Funding from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
	The BBC World Service is editorially and operationally independent and takes its own funding decisions for its Turkish and other services.
	The UK Government does not provide any other funding to the BBC which is funded through the Licence Fee and a dividend from BBC Worldwide. The BBC World Service will continue to be funded by the Grant-in-Aid until the end of March 2014 when the World Service transfers to Licence Fee funding.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals only allow admissions through accident and emergency; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect of such a policy on the stress levels of (a) staff and (b) patients.

Anna Soubry: Information on the number of hospitals that only allow admissions through accident and emergency (A and E) are not centrally held. Protocols regarding admission to hospital are an operational matter for local national health service trusts, working in collaboration with their commissioners.
	No assessment has therefore been made on the effect of such policy on the stress levels of staff or patients.
	Staff wellbeing in general is monitored through the annual staff survey and patient satisfaction with services is monitored through NHS Friends and Family Test where patients are asked whether they would recommend hospital wards and A and E departments to their friends and family if they needed similar care or treatment.

Ambulance Services

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on proposals to make police and crime commissioners responsible for ambulance service provision.

Anna Soubry: There have been no discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), on proposals to make police and crime commissioners responsible for ambulance service provision.
	The Department has been in discussions with the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Home Office about promoting greater collaboration between emergency services, where appropriate.
	Closer co-operation between the emergency services is clearly desirable and should be encouraged and incentivised, within the bounds of what is reasonably practicable and affordable. However, any more wide-ranging measures designed to bring the ambulance services and other emergency services together, operationally and/or legally, would have to have a sound evidence base in terms of clear benefits, not only in monetary terms, but also in terms of clinical outcomes for patients.

Autism: Luton

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many autistic children whose families reside in Luton access care outside of the borough.

Norman Lamb: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Cancer

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress cancer strategic clinical networks have made in developing their terms of reference; and if he will place in the Library copies of such terms of reference.

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the role of cancer strategic clinical networks in promoting equality and reducing inequalities in cancer care; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: Information on terms of reference is not held centrally. As set out in the “Single Operating Framework for Strategic Clinical Networks”, published in November 2012, the terms of reference for individual Strategic Clinical Networks (SCNs), including cancer networks, are agreed locally between health communities and their SCNs and in line with the overarching expectations and priorities of NHS England.
	NHS England has developed fixed points for measuring success that have formed the foundation on which SCNs have been designed and should guide their development and operation. This includes a statutory duty to promote equality and reduce inequalities.
	While SCNs will fundamentally support the achievement of outcome ambitions and the delivery of the NHS Outcomes Framework, they should also ensure that their activities have regard for the NHS constitution and that they promote equality.
	A copy of the “Single Operating Framework for Strategic Clinical Networks” has already been placed in the Library.

Cancer

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps (a) his Department and (b) NHS England plan to take to deliver improvements in the relational aspects of cancer care.

Anna Soubry: Over the past two years, the National Cancer Survivorship Initiative (NCSI), a partnership between the Department and Macmillan Cancer Support, has worked with NHS Improvement to pilot transformed pathways of care for adults and for children and young people with cancer.
	Lessons learned from the pilots informed the NCSI report “Living with and beyond cancer; Taking Action to Improve Outcomes”, published in March 2013, which recommends an integrated packaged of care that includes: holistic needs assessment and care planning; treatment summaries; access to health and well-being clinics; and schemes that support people to undertake physical activity and healthy weight management.
	Survivorship care is now the responsibility of NHS England. The recommendation in the report will support NHS England and local national health service teams to drive improved cancer survivorship outcomes and will help deliver our ambition to enhance the quality of life for all people with long-term conditions. A copy of the report has been placed in the Library.

Care Quality Commission

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) one-off payments and (b) pension entitlements Care Quality Commission board members who stepped down or were removed from their posts in 2012 received.

Norman Lamb: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care providers in England.
	The CQC has provided the following information:
	In the period 1 January to 31 December 2012, one non-executive director, Martin Marshall, left the board when his period of appointment expired at the end of December. He received no kind of one-off payment and none of the non-executive members of the board is provided with a pension in relation to their role as CQC board members.
	In the period 1 January to 31 December 2012, one member of the executive team left in February 2012, chief executive Cynthia Bower. She resigned from her post voluntarily and therefore was not in receipt of any compensation for loss of office (redundancy or ex-gratia). She was entitled to a pension under the NHS pension scheme and is now in receipt of her benefits.

Children's Centres

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidance his Department provides to clinical commissioning groups on the provision of services through children's centres in their area;
	(2)  what amount his Department and its agencies spent on providing services through children's centres in each of the last five financial years.

Norman Lamb: The Department has not issued guidance to clinical commissioning groups on the provision of services through children's centres. NHS England has published a resource pack to support clinical groups who commission maternity services, which acknowledges that in some areas midwives working in the community are based in children's centres.
	The Department for Education published Sure Start children's centres revised statutory guidance in April 2013, which is for local authorities, commissioners of local health services and Jobcentre Plus on their duties relating to children's centres under the Childcare Act 2006 which is available at:
	http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/files/pdf/s/childrens%20centre%20stat%20guidance%20april%202013.pdf
	The Department has not provided funding specifically for the provision of services through children's centres. Information is not collected centrally on local national health service expenditure for the provision of services through children's centres.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Sandra Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to encourage research on medically unexplained symptoms as part of wider research on ME and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Norman Lamb: The Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC), which is an independent body funded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has identified research into CFS/ME as a research priority and the Council has implemented a number of initiatives to stimulate high quality research in this area. The MRC's current priorities for this area are outlined in a highlight notice, which can be found on its website at:
	www.mrc.ac.uk/Fundingopportunities/Highlightnotices/CFSME/MRC001747
	Applications for research into all aspects of CFS/ME are welcomed by the MRC; this would include research on medically unexplained symptoms.
	The MRC is independent in its choice of which research to support and the selection of projects for funding is determined through peer review.

Disability: Bedfordshire

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve health care for the disabled in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

Norman Lamb: The provision of health care services locally is a matter for the relevant local organisations.
	The Mandate to the national health service expects NHS England to ensure that clinical commissioning groups work with local authorities to ensure that vulnerable people, particularly those with learning disabilities and autism, receive safe, appropriate, high quality care.
	The Equality Act 2010 requires NHS bodies, and those carrying out public functions on their behalf, to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, which may include providing more appropriate services. This statutory duty aims to ensure that a disabled person can use a service as close as reasonably possible to the standard usually offered to non-disabled people. NHS bodies must think in advance and on an on-going basis about what disabled people with a range of impairments that use their services might reasonably need.
	The Department is currently in discussions with its partners about publishing further guidance on making reasonable adjustments in healthcare settings.
	“The NHS Outcomes Framework 2013-14” sets out the outcomes and corresponding indicators that will be used to hold NHS England to account for the outcomes it delivers through commissioning health services. Reducing premature death in people with serious mental illness and people with a learning disability are identified as improvement areas.
	The Operating Framework specifically talks about a focus on the physical healthcare of people affected by mental illness for the coming year and also that the NHS should ensure momentum is maintained in improving care and outcomes for people with learning disabilities.

Fruit Juices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department holds on the effect of freshly squeezed citrus fruit juice on tooth enamel and consequent effects on public health.

Anna Soubry: Evidence indicates that fresh fruit, and in particular citrus fruit, have erosive potential and particularly when consumed with high frequency.
	The Department published the second edition. of ‘Delivering better oral health—an evidence-based toolkit for prevention’ in 2009 which can be found here:
	www.oralhealthplatform.eu/sites/default/files/field/document/NHS_Delivering%20Better%20Oral%20health.pdf
	This report contains a section on erosion and relevant supporting references. Dietary associations with erosion are present but weak, as the evidence is predominantly based on laboratory studies which do not fully explain causal relationships and co-factors in the erosive process.

Fruit Juices

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department gives to the public about the effects of citrus fruit juice on oral hygiene.

Anna Soubry: The Department's second edition of “Delivering better oral health—an evidence-based toolkit for prevention” (2009) includes the advice
	“Avoid frequent intake of acidic foods or drinks—keep them to mealtimes”
	and
	“Do not brush immediately after eating or drinking acidic foods or drinks”.
	The toolkit can be viewed here:
	www.oralhealthplatform.eu/sites/default/files/field/document/NHS_Delivering%20Better%20Oral%20health.pdf

Health Services: Staffordshire

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS staff in Staffordshire were paid over (a) £50,000, (b) £65,738 and (c) £100,000 in the last year for which figures are available.

Anna Soubry: The numbers of national health service staff in Staffordshire who, in 2012-13, were paid over (a) £50,000, (b) £65,738 and (c) £100,000 are estimated to be (a) 1,480, (b) 990 and (c) 490 respectively and include both frontline staff and management.
	These estimates are inclusive (i.e. count (b) is included in count (a)) and based on unvalidated data as recorded in the electronic staff record (ESR) data warehouse which is a monthly snap shot of the live ESR data.

HIV Infection

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people per 100,000 with HIV who are (a) gay and (b) not gay.

Anna Soubry: In 2011, an estimated 4,700 per 100,000 men who have sex with men (MSM) were living with an HIV infection in the United Kingdom. In the same year, 150 per 100,000 of the general population were estimated to be living with HIV.
	In numbers, an estimated 96,000 people were estimated to be living with HIV in 2011 in the UK. Of these, 42% (40,100) were estimated to be MSM.

Human Papillomavirus

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the answer of 20 March 2013, Official Report, columns 714-15W, on Human Papillomavirus, if he will make it his policy to ensure that parents of children about the receive the HPV vaccination are given a copy of the vaccine manufacturer's own patient information leaflet prior to signing a consent form for vaccination.

Anna Soubry: The vaccine manufacturer's patient information leaflet (PIL) is not routinely given to girls and their parents or carers. As set out in my answer of 20 March 2013, Official Report, columns 714-15W, an information leaflet about HPV vaccination should be issued prior to consent being sought. This contains summary information about possible side effects. The leaflet advises girls and their parents or carers to read the PIL if more detailed information is needed about side effects.
	We are content that these arrangements, clearly set out in “Immunisation against infectious disease”, ensure that appropriate information, sufficient to enable informed decisions to be made, is provided, whist also enabling girls and their parents or carers to obtain further information if required.

Sleep Apnoea

Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements his Department has made to ensure that the work of its obstructive sleep apnoea working group, established in July 2012, is being continued following the recent NHS reforms.

Anna Soubry: Responsibility for determining the overall national approach to improve clinical outcomes from health care services now lies with NHS England.
	Local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning services for patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. Management of the condition is governed by clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and NHS England would expect CCGs to ensure that services are available to patients in line with these national guidelines and the needs of their local populations.
	We understand from NHS England that it currently has no plans to continue the work of the obstructive sleep apnoea working group in its previous form. The National Clinical Director for Respiratory Disease Professor Mike Morgan will continue to consider whether any additional specific initiatives or commissioning protocols are needed to promote best practice and treatment for people with obstructive sleep apnoea and to provide advice on this.

Social Enterprises

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of his Department's suppliers are social enterprises.

Norman Lamb: The Department does not hold information on how many of its suppliers are social enterprises.
	The category of suppliers captured in the Department's Business Management System includes voluntary and community sector supplier information but does not separately distinguish supplier types specifically relating to social enterprises alone.

Suicide

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department makes available to tackle suicides; and what discussions he has had with devolved assemblies on implementing a UK-wide strategy to reduce suicides.

Norman Lamb: The suicide prevention strategy, which was published on 10 September 2012, can help us to sustain and reduce further the relatively low rates of suicide in England and to respond positively to the challenges we face over the coming years. The strategy recognises that research is essential to suicide prevention and the Department's policy research programme will fund up to £1.5 million for new suicide prevention research to contribute to delivery of the strategy.
	The Government are working with the devolved Administrations to share evidence on suicide prevention and effective interventions. A five nations official level joint working forum facilitates the sharing of best practice between the nations and enhances co-operation on mutually beneficial areas of work.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Developing Countries: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether health will be a priority within the post-2015 development framework.

Alan Duncan: The post-2015 framework will need to build on the successes and momentum created around health by the millennium development goals (MDGs). The UK is working hard with others to ensure that unfinished health issues from the MDGs are addressed in the new framework, and that we raise our ambition to include emerging health challenges.

Developing Countries: Health Services

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department's policy is on the creation of a standalone development goal for universal health coverage.

Alan Duncan: The UK Government welcomes the report of the high-level panel of eminent persons on the post-2015 development agenda and particularly the emphasis it places on the importance of health and well-being.
	We think a future health goal in a development agenda should be based on health outcomes and results, rather than processes. Universal health coverage is central to achieving health outcomes and so needs to be part of a future development agenda, but is not a goal in itself.

EU Budget

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the UK has taken to champion a strong EU budget and to hold other countries accountable for their aid promises.

Alan Duncan: The UK's top priority for the next EU budget framework was budgetary restraint and the European Council agreed at its meeting in February 2012 that the overall budget framework for 2014-20 should be lower than for the current period, 2007-13. Nevertheless, the level of spending on the EU's external actions was protected and, thanks to pressure from the UK and our allies, the Council has agreed that EU development support should focus on the poorest countries. UK and other member states are now pressing to ensure the European Parliament will endorse this very good deal.
	The UK Government regularly lobbies other donors to meet their aid commitments, and was instrumental in establishing high-level and transparent development accountability mechanisms in both the EU and G8. This year's G8 accountability report—compiled under the UK presidency—clearly and publicly rates the progress made by G8 states on their development commitments. The UK also helped secure the re-affirmation of collective and individual development commitments at the EU Development Foreign Affairs Council in May 2013.

India

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support her Department provides to India to achieve universal health coverage.

Alan Duncan: In 2010, DFID provided expert advice to inform the 'High Level Expert Group Report on Universal Health Coverage for India'. Following that report, the Government of India's 12th five year plan proposes to ensure universal access to a defined package of health services, which would be publicly funded, and delivered through a mixture of public and private providers.
	Between now and 2015, DFID will conclude its financial grant support for delivery of health services in three of India's poorest states. As we graduate to a new development relationship with India, DFID expect to continue providing technical support to Indian partners, including through mobilising partnerships with the UK health service.

Working Conditions: Children

Stephen Phillips: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of children worldwide who are employed in hazardous work conditions; and what steps her Department is taking to reduce that number.

Alan Duncan: The International Labour Organisation's most recent estimate is that there are 115 million children, aged 5-17, who are working in hazardous conditions globally.
	UK development assistance has an important role both in helping combat child labour in hazardous condition in developing countries and in addressing the conditions that give rise to this. An example of this is DFID's Governance and Human Rights programme in Bangladesh, which assists the removal of children engaged in harmful work or exploitative conditions by providing alternative employment opportunities, providing support and employment opportunities to their families, and providing education after working hours for those children who continue to be employed.
	The UK Government continues to believe that one of the most effective ways of reducing child labour is to get more children into school, and will be supporting 11 million children to attend school by 2015.

JUSTICE

Anti-Slavery Day

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to mark anti-slavery day on 18 October 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Grant: The Government is committed to marking anti-slavery day and using this opportunity to raise awareness of human trafficking. Plans are still being considered and will be announced in due course.

Capita Translation and Interpreting

Jonathan Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the quality of service provided by Capita Translation and Interpreting; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Grant: Performance review meetings are held regularly with Capita TI, and detailed management information on performance is obtained on a weekly basis. Statistics published in March 2013 show that between 30 January 2012 and 31 January 2013, only 0.2% of all bookings completed by Capita TI received complaints about interpreter quality. We remain committed to working closely with Capita TI to drive continuous improvement.

Claims Management Services

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the estimated cost to businesses is of (a) invalid and (b) fraudulent payment protection insurance claims by claims management companies.

Helen Grant: The Department's Claims Management Regulation Unit has not made an estimate of such cost to businesses. The CMR Unit is however well aware of this issue and a specialist PPI compliance team is targeting poor practices used by those claims management companies that submit poorly prepared or spurious PPI claims.

Claims Management Services

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to regulate claims management companies.

Helen Grant: Firm measures are being taken to improve compliance and to strengthen enforcement action against claims management companies (CMCs) who breach the conduct rules. We work with relevant regulators, complaints handlers and industry bodies to identify problems early, with a focus on tackling the poor practices employed by some CMCs operating in the mis-sold payment protection insurance claims sector and on enforcing the ban on referral fees in the personal injury claims sector.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme Hardship Fund have been (a) received and (b) accepted since the new scheme was established.

Helen Grant: Since its establishment on 27 November 2012, 10 applications have been received under the Hardship Fund administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. Of these seven have been successful.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much has been paid out by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme Hardship Fund since the new scheme was established.

Helen Grant: £1,692.47 has been paid out under the Hardship Fund administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
	The payment is capped at the equivalent of four weeks statutory sick pay, which means the maximum for an individual payment would be £306.61.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme have been rejected due to the injuries not being within the scope of the new scheme since that scheme was established.

Helen Grant: 1,543 claims under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 (the Scheme), have been refused at first decision as the injury claimed for was not set out in the Scheme's Tariff of Injuries.
	The Government introduced a Hardship Fund in November 2012 to provide temporary relief from financial hardship for very low paid workers who are temporarily unable to work as a direct result of a being a victim of a crime of violence in England and Wales and whose injuries are not sufficiently serious to fall within the tariff of injuries in the Scheme.
	The Government is committed to ensuring that victims are supported. The changes we have made to the Scheme make it easier for victims, and bereaved relatives, of traumatising crime to receive compensation.

Human Trafficking

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what awareness raising campaigns on human trafficking his Department has held for legal professionals.

Helen Grant: The Crown Prosecution Service has undertaken a number of activities to raise awareness among criminal legal practitioners about steps they should take to identity potential trafficked victims in the criminal justice process. They have provided presentations to the Law Society, Bar, Judiciary and Immigration judges to raise awareness among practitioners on the incidence of trafficked victims compelled to commit criminal offences.
	Building on this work, The Ministry of Justice is currently considering a number of other ways to raise awareness of human trafficking among the legal profession so that they are able to identify potential victims and ensure they get the support they need and deserve.

Leasehold Valuation Tribunal

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many claims in the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal where one of the parties was a registered social landlord were issued in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many such claims were successful.

Helen Grant: The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal does not record the numbers of any particular category or type of party to the proceedings and so cannot provide data on the number of cases involving a registered social landlord. It is also not possible therefore to provide figures detailing the number or outcome of cases involving a registered social landlord.
	LVT decisions, which detail the parties, are published on the Justice website and can be found at:
	www.residential-property.judiciary.gov.uk/search/decision_search.jsp

Legal Aid Scheme

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on what basis he plans to determine the number of contracts for criminal legal aid work for each procurement area under the proposals set out in his Department's consultation on transforming legal aid.

Jeremy Wright: The Government has consulted on a number of proposals to reform legal aid via the ‘Transforming Legal Aid: delivering a more credible and efficient system’ consultation which closed on 4 June 2013. This included proposed model of competitive tendering for criminal legal aid services. We have been clear we must continue to bear down on the cost of legal aid, including the £1 billion of taxpayers’ money spent on criminal legal aid a year, to ensure we are getting the best deal for the taxpayer.
	The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) currently contracts with over 1,600 separate organisations to deliver services under the 2010 Standard Crime Contract.
	The proposed model would ensure that providers have exclusive access to a share of the work available (and control of the case from beginning to end). By awarding longer and larger contracts with greater certainty of volumes, providers would have increased opportunities to grow their businesses and invest in the restructuring required to achieve economies of scale and scope and provide a more efficient service at a price that offers a saving to the public but is also sustainable. This model would result in a reduction in the number of contracts available but gives providers the freedom to develop the most efficient approach in delivering the service (e.g. the extent to which they use agents). This approach would also deliver a reduction in administrative costs to the LAA.
	In determining the optimum number of contracts in each procurement area we consider that the following are the key factors:
	Sufficient supply to deal with potential conflicts of interest
	Sufficient case volume to allow fixed fee schemes to work
	Market agility
	Sustainable procurement
	Based on our assessment of the factors listed above, the LAA data for the period October 2010 to September 2011 would suggest approximately 400 contracts with providers across England and Wales. This would mean current providers would need to grow their business on average by around 250% (or join with other providers to create sufficient resource to deliver the expected caseload).
	This approach would entail a significant reduction in the number of contracts in each procurement area. A detailed breakdown of the illustrative number of contracts based on the LAA administrative data on legal aid claims in the period October 2010 to September 2011 in each procurement area is set out in the consultation paper. Subject to the outcome of this consultation, we would revise the number of contracts in line with the most current data available prior to any procurement process commencing.

Legal Profession: Standards

Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions he has had with the Bar Standards Board on its Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates. [R]

Helen Grant: The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), has not discussed the Quality Assurance Scheme for Advocates with the Bar Standards Board.

Public Expenditure

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the equality impact of his Department's spending reductions since 2010; whether this assessment has been used to inform his planning ahead of the 2013 Comprehensive Spending Review and with what result; what plans he has to publish the equality impact assessments undertaken by his Department as a result of the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Grant: The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has taken equality into account in its work on the spending review since 2010 in accordance with its statutory equality duties. As part of our spending round 2013 negotiations with Her Majesty's Treasury (HMT) we undertook an equality analysis of the spending plans that formed part of our spending round 2013 submission to HMT. The MOJ will continue to undertake equality analysis on the detailed proposals for delivering its spending round 2013 agreement, with publication being considered on a case by case basis.

Salvation Army

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2013, Official Report, column 370W, on Salvation Army, of the actual funding allocated to the Salvation Army in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2012-13 how much was (i) spent by the Salvation Army on running the 24 hour helpline and other administration connected with the contract and (ii) paid to shelters caring for victims which are run independently of the Salvation Army; what the names are of NGO subcontractor shelters; and to whom the Salvation Army makes payments.

Helen Grant: The Government contract with the Salvation Army to deliver support services to adult victims of human trafficking ensures a vital service is provided victims of this terrible crime. The contract commenced on 1 July 2011, this means that the financial information is accounted for and presented to the Ministry of Justice on a contract year basis (1 July-30 June).
	For the first year of the contract, 1 July 2011- 30 June 2012, 90% of the contract-spend was on direct delivery costs, with 10% being spent on administration costs, including those relating to the start up of the contract.
	For the second year of contract, management reports are available for the period 1 July 2012 to 30 March 2013. Over this period 95% of the contract-spend was on direct delivery costs, with 5% being spent on administration costs. These proportions will be finalised at the end of the contractual year when the reporting accounts are finalised.
	Total spend on the contract includes funding in addition to government funding. It includes income the Salvation Army has generated through fundraising activities.
	Administration costs include the necessary overheads to oversee and co-ordinate the provision of support provided to adult victims of human trafficking. It includes the associated costs of running the 24 hour helpline.
	Direct delivery costs are the expenditure on services which were directly delivered to victims via the Salvation Army's wide and diverse supply chain of sub-contractors who support victims in the most appropriate environment and tailor support according to need. This has included the provision of safe and secure accommodation, providing access to legal advice and preparing individuals for work through arranging access to training courses and mentoring.
	The Salvation Army have formally contracted the services of 12 NGOs who collectively provide access to 19 safe houses. One of these is a the Salvation Army shelter—the Jarrett Community. The other NGOs are:
	Ashiana
	BAWSO
	BCHA
	City Hearts
	Hestia
	The Medaille Trust
	Midland Heart
	Migrant Helpline Ltd UK
	Sandwell Women's Aid
	Unseen UK
	Riverside

Salvation Army

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many victims of human trafficking have been assisted by his Department after they left the subcontractor shelters in which they were placed by the Salvation Army to date;
	(2)  how much is paid per night to shelters in the UK to accommodate victims referred to them by the Salvation Army Victim Support scheme; what the average length of stay is which is funded; and what funding is available after the reflection period has ended;
	(3)  how much funding was (a) made available and (b) paid out to the Salvation Army Victim Support scheme in (i) 2011-12 and (ii) 2012-13; how much will be made available in 2013-14; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Grant: This Government is committed to helping victims of human trafficking. Since 1 July 2011 The Salvation Army has been contracted to oversee and co-ordinate the provision of support to adult victims of trafficking who have been referred through the National Referral Mechanism. They are contracted to provide support services for a minimum of 45 days or until a victim receives a ‘Conclusive Grounds’ decision. In May 2013, the average length of stay in The Salvation Army service was 102 days. Once moved victims continue to receive support from mainstream support services, such local authority housing, and can apply for benefits.
	The Salvation Army provides tailored support to victims which takes into account their individual needs. This means that the cost of accommodating and supporting a victim in a shelter will vary according to their specific requirements.
	The following table details the funding provided to The Salvation Army.
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2011-12 1.5 
			 2012-13 3 
		
	
	For 2013-14, the Government has made £3 million available to The Salvation Army to run the contract. Since July 2011, there has been a significant increase in the number of referrals to The Salvation Army for support and accommodation. The Ministry of Justice and Home Office will therefore keep this funding allocation under regular review.

Social Enterprises

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of his Department's suppliers are social enterprises.

Helen Grant: There are 20,723 organisations working with the Ministry of Justice and determining which of these is a social enterprise could be done only at a disproportionate cost.

Work Capability Assessment: Wales

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many of those living in each constituency in Wales who appealed against decisions on benefits entitlement made following work capability assessments had their appeals heard during the financial year 2012-13;
	(2)  how many claimants living in each parliamentary constituency in Wales had their appeals heard during the financial year 2012-13 against decisions on benefits entitlement made following work capability assessments.

Helen Grant: The First Tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) decisions on entitlement to employment and support allowance (ESA) (decisions in which the work capability assessment (WCA) is a key factor).
	Appeals made to the SSCS are not recorded on a constituency basis, but by the office which deals with the case. This is usually the hearing venue nearest to the appellant's home address. Consequently the information has been provided by SSCS hearing venues in Wales.
	The following table shows the number of cases disposed of by the Tribunal in hearing venues in Wales in which the WCA was factor in 2012-13, which includes those disposed of without the need for a hearing: for example those withdrawn, superseded or struck out.
	
		
			 Number of cases disposed of in Wales where the WCA was a factor 2012-13 
			 SSCS Venue Total number of cases disposed of 
			 Aberystwyth 344 
			 Bridgend 1,338 
			 Caernarfon 324 
			 Cardiff 6,610 
			 Carmarthen 91 
			 Colwyn Bay 378 
			 Cwmbran 179 
			 Haverfordwest 510 
			 Langstone All 3,702 
			 Llandrindod Wells 35 
			 Llandudno 133 
			 Llangefni 222 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 298 
			 Neath 652 
			 Newtown 102 
			 Pontypridd 74 
			 Port Talbot 2,832 
			 Prestatyn 269 
			 Swansea 466 
			 Welshpool 66 
			 Wrexham 1,401 
			 Wales Total 20,026 
		
	
	The number of appeals received by the SSCS tribunal nationally has risen significantly: from 339,200 in 2009-10 to 507,100 in 2012-13 (an increase of 49%). In addition to local initiatives, such as identifying additional hearing venues across HMCTS estate, and increasing the use of Saturday sessions, HMCTS continues to respond strongly at a national level to continue to increase the capacity of the SSCS tribunal and reduce waiting times. Measures in place include ongoing recruitment of additional judges and medically qualified members and the review and continuous improvement of administrative processes both internally and between HMCTS and DWP. All of this is having a positive effect. The total number of disposals has increased significantly from 279,000 in 2009-10 to 465,500 in 2012-13 (an increase of 66%).
	The average waiting time has fallen nationally from 23 weeks in 2011-12 to 18 weeks in 2012-13: in Wales this has fallen from 21 weeks in 2011-12 to 13 weeks in 2012-13.

PRIME MINISTER

Russia

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he had with President Putin of Russia on nuclear weapons and nuclear disarmament at the bilateral meeting on 16 June 2013.

David Cameron: I did not discuss this specific issue with President Putin on this occasion.
	The UK Government regularly raises issues of strategic security in bilateral meetings such as the joint UK-Russia Foreign and Defence ministerial meeting in March, in partnership with our allies such as at the NATO-Russia Foreign ministerial last December, and at official level in multilateral meetings such as the conference of the five nuclear non-proliferation treaty nuclear weapon states in April in Geneva.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the G8 Communiqué that sets out the G8’s agreed position on nuclear proliferation issues. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

TREASURY

Child Tax Credit

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many workless lone parent and couple households with (a) six, (b) seven, (c) eight, (d) nine and (e) 10 children claim child tax credit.

Sajid Javid: The following table shows the number of families benefiting from child tax credit who are working fewer than the number of hours required to claim working tax credit. This is usually a combined 24 hours a week for a couple with children (with one parent working at least 16 hours), or 16 hours a week for a lone parent. The figures are based on finalised tax credit awards from the 2011-12 financial year, which are the latest available.
	
		
			 Number of children Lone parents Couples All families 
			 Six 4.4 4.4 8.8 
			 Seven 1.4 1.7 3.1 
			 Eight 0.4 0.7 1.0 
			 Nine 0.1 0.2 0.3 
			 Ten (1)— 0.1 0.1 
			 (1) fewer than 50 cases Notes: 1. All numbers are in thousands and rounded to the nearest 0.7 thousand. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding 
		
	
	The Government are committed to making work pay, and is rewarding work by:
	raising the personal allowance to £9,440 and announcing a further increase to £10,000 from April 2014. The combined effect of all personal allowance increases announced by this Government will be to remove 2.7 million low income individuals, under 65, out of income tax altogether from April 2014.
	developing a new Tax-Free Childcare scheme to expand support for affordable childcare to 2.5 million families; and
	introducing universal credit to make the benefits of work clearer and simpler, with the aim of offering a smooth transition into work and encouraging progression in work.

Personal Income

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of the change in the median household real income before housing costs since May 2010.

Sajid Javid: The households below average income (HBAI) report published by the Department for Work and Pensions provides estimates of median household incomes before housing costs up to 2011-12. The National Accounts measure of total real household disposable income published by the Office for National Statistics reports a rise of 2.0% between 2010Q1 and 2012Q4.

Welfare Tax Credits

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the annual total paid out in tax credits is;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of raising personal allowance in line with the minimum wage; and what the saving in tax credits payments would be as a result;
	(3)  how many adults in full-time employment are in receipt of tax credits;
	(4)  how much has been paid inaccurately in tax credits in each of the last three years.

Sajid Javid: The total amount of Tax Credits (Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit) paid by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in 2012-13 and in previous years can be found on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/receipts/receipts-stats.xls
	In 2012-13 HMRC made Tax Credit payments amounting to £29.9 billion.
	The Government has not made an estimate of the effect of increasing the Personal Allowance in line with the National Minimum Wage.
	The Exchequer costs of increasing the personal allowance and age-related personal allowances by £100 are provided in Table 1.6 "Direct effects of illustrative tax changes", available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/expenditures/table1-6.xls
	Tax Credit awards are paid based on gross income therefore changes to the level of the personal allowance have no impact on Tax Credit payments.
	There is no standard definition of 'full-time' employment in the context of Tax Credits. Therefore, 'full-time' is assumed to be those working 30 hours per week or more.
	Based on provisional information on families receiving Tax Credits as at April 2013 the number of adults working 30 hours per week or more and in a family unit in receipt of Tax Credits is 2.5 million.
	The latest published finalised Tax Credits Error and Fraud statistics for 2011-12, are available on the HM Revenue and Custom's website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/statistics/fin-error-stats/cwtcredits-error.pdf
	These published statistics contain a breakdown of the level of Error and Fraud in the 2011-12 tax year. This document also includes information on the level of Error and Fraud in previous years (Annex A Table A2).
	For ease, the level and percentage of expenditure of Error and favouring the claimant or HMRC has been provided here.
	
		
			 Table 1: Tax Credits Error and Fraud 
			  E&F favouring the claimant E&F favouring HMRC 
			  Outturn (%) Outturn (£ billion) Outturn (%) Outturn (£ billion) 
			 2009-10 7.8 2.060 1.4 0.380 
			 2010-11 8.1 2.270 0.8 0.230 
			 2011-12 7.3 2.090 0.9 0.260

Welfare Tax Credits

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the annual cost is of administering the tax credit system; and how many civil servants are employed in its administration.

Sajid Javid: The annual cost of administering the tax credit system; and number of civil servants employed in administering the process in 2009-13 is presented in Table 1 as follows.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			 Business area Period Staff numbers(FTE) Total gross expenditure (£) 
			 Tax credits 2009-10 10,682 562,682,793 
			 Tax credits 2010-11 9,432 495,209,042 
			 Tax credits 2011-12 8,421 469,725,522 
			 Tax credits 2012-13 7,757 429,534,680

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children’s Centres

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance his Department provides to local Jobcentre Plus offices on delivering welfare advice and employment-focused programmes through children's centres in their area.

Mark Hoban: DWP recognises the value of delivering community based support and provides comprehensive guidance about the extension of Jobcentre Plus services to community settings. This could include Children's Centres. This outreach/co-location guidance covers both the practical challenges of delivering Jobcentre Plus services in a non DWP premises (for example provision of information technology and health and safety considerations) along with examples of previous good practice.

Children’s Centres

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what amount his Department and its agencies spent on providing services through children's centres in each of the last five financial years.

Mark Hoban: DWP do not collate the costs spent on delivering Jobcentre Plus services in outreach locations including in children's centres.

Employment Schemes: Disability

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of entrants to the Work Choice programme found work lasting longer than six months in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012.

Esther McVey: Latest published Work Choice statistics show:
	In 2011 there were 3,060 unsupported job outcomes sustained for at least six months
	In 2012 there were 2,070 unsupported job outcomes sustained for at least six months. Data is currently only available on unsupported sustained job outcomes to the end of September 2012, this is not therefore a figure for the whole of 2012.
	These figures exclude Remploy and only count job outcomes for which providers receive a payment.
	We do not publish cohorted information on the proportion of entrants finding sustained work of over six months.
	The latest Work Choice statistics to the end of March 2013 can be found via the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/203397/wc_may13.pdf

Future Jobs Fund: Clwyd

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young people in Vale of Clwyd constituency returned to work under the Future Jobs Fund in each month of that fund's operation.

Mark Hoban: The Department does not hold information on the number of young people returning to work in any parliamentary constituency under the Future Jobs Fund in each month of that Fund's operation.

Misuse of Drugs Ministerial Group

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many times Ministers of his Department have attended the inter-ministerial group on drugs since May 2010.

Mark Hoban: I refer to the reply given by the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Old Bexley and Sidcup (James Brokenshire), on 9 July 2012, Official Report, column 83W, I can confirm that the Inter-Ministerial Group on Drugs met on the following occasions:
	12 November 2012
	10 January 2013
	30 April 2013
	As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to publish details, including agenda items, of such meetings.

New Enterprise Allowance: Barnsley

Michael Dugher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people in (a) Barnsley East constituency and (b) Barnsley local authority have had access to financial support from the new enterprise allowance to date;
	(2)  how many people in (a) Barnsley East constituency and (b) Barnsley local authority area have had access to mentoring through the new enterprise allowance to date.

Mark Hoban: The information is available and can be accessed at:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2013/nea_by_la_jcp_district_parl_c.xls

New Enterprise Allowance: Staffordshire

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Cannock Chase constituency and (b) Staffordshire are in receipt of the new enterprise allowance.

Mark Hoban: The number of starts to the New Enterprise Allowance by parliamentary constituency can be accessed at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/196645/nea_by_la_jcp_district_parl_c.xls.xls

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of increasing the first and subsequent child elements of universal credit by (a) five per cent, (b) 10 per cent and (c) 15 per cent.

Mark Hoban: Increasing the child elements of universal credit by (a) 5% would cost around £1.0 billion per year in steady state (once universal credit is fully introduced); (b) 10% would cost around £2.0 billion per year in steady state; and, (c) 15% would cost around £3.1 billion per year in steady state.
	This analysis is consistent with the impact assessment published in December 2012. All figures are expressed in 2013-14 prices and have been rounded to the nearest £0.1 billion.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of increasing the higher and lower rate disabled child elements of universal credit by (a) five per cent, (b) 10 per cent and (c) 15 per cent.

Mark Hoban: Increasing the disabled child elements of universal credit by (a) 5% would cost less than £50 million per year in steady state (once universal credit is fully introduced); (b) 10% would cost less than £50 million per year in steady state; and, (c) 15% would cost around £100 million per year (rounded to the nearest £100 million to reflect sample data limitations) in steady state.
	This analysis is consistent with the impact assessment published in December 2012. All figures are expressed in 2013-14 prices.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of increasing the current universal credit earnings disregard for lone parents by (a) 10 per cent, (b) 20 per cent and (c) 30 per cent.

Mark Hoban: Increasing the level of universal credit work allowances for all lone parents by (a) 10% would cost around £350 million per year in steady state in 2014-15 prices; by (b) 20% would cost around £700 million per year in steady state in 2014-15 prices; by (c) 30% would cost around £1,050 million per year in steady state in 2014-15 prices.
	The figures above do not take account of the potential dynamic effects from these changes.

Universal Credit: Luton

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of how many households in Luton will fall into the poverty bracket following the implementation of universal credit.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not available as sample sizes are too small to yield reliable results.

Work Capability Assessment: Appeals

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will issue guidance to decision-makers about the requirement to consider all relevant evidence in work capability assessments and to provide a copy of that evidence to tribunals.

Mark Hoban: The current guidance to decision makers emphasises the requirement to give due consideration to all of the evidence presented. It also instructs that all information made available to the decision maker is included in the appeals response to the Tribunal. This is also copied to the appellant and their representative, if they have appointed one. This guidance is underpinned by formal training for decision makers and the Quality Assessment Framework, which also detail this requirement.

Work Programme

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what proportion of unemployed people gained access to work under the Work Programme in each month of its existence.

Mark Hoban: The information requested is not available.
	Statistics on how many people gained a job outcome under the Work Programme in each month from 1 June 2011 to 31 July 2012 can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/series/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool#benefit-caseloads

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of employment and support allowance with a 12 month prognosis participating in the Work programme secured a sustained job outcome.

Mark Hoban: During the period for which Work programme statistical information is available (1 June 2011 to 31 July 2012) 60 recipients of employment and support allowance secured a sustained job outcome. To identify how many of these had a 12 month prognosis would incur in disproportionate cost.
	Statistics covering Work programme referrals, attachments and job outcomes to March 2013 will be published on 27 June 2013.

Work Programme: Kingston Upon Hull

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Hull found work lasting more than six months through the Work programme since it inception; how many such people were aged under 24; and how many such people had a disability.

Mark Hoban: Work Programme statistical information is available for the period 1 June 2011 to 31 July 2012. In Kingston upon Hull in that period:
	23,530 people found work lasting for more than six months;
	7,080 of the people who found work were aged 18 to 24;
	10 of the people who found work were registered disabled.
	Statistics covering Work programme referrals, attachments and job outcomes to March 2013 will be published on 27 June 2013.

EDUCATION

Care Proceedings

Craig Whittaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will consider making provision for an extension to the proposed 26-week care proceedings limit in very complex cases.

Edward Timpson: The Children and Families Bill legislation allows for the possibility of extending the time limit in a particular care or supervision case beyond the new 26 week time limit, should this be necessary to resolve proceedings justly. It will be possible for extensions to be granted for periods of up to eight weeks at a time (with no limit on the number of extensions) from the end of the 26-week period or the end of the extension—whichever is the later.

GCSE: Wales

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with his Welsh counterpart regarding the status of GCSEs in Wales and the introduction of I-levels in England.

Elizabeth Truss: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), met the Minister for Education and Skills for Wales and the Minister for Education for Northern Ireland on 13 May 2013 to discuss the reform of GCSEs and A-levels, in their respective jurisdictions.
	Ofqual and the Welsh regulator are responsible for matters relating to the standards of qualifications in England and Wales respectively, and the extent to which they are comparable. I understand that Ofqual has regular discussions with the Welsh regulator.
	We are reforming GCSEs in England from 2015 to ensure that young people have access to qualifications that set expectations that match and exceed those in the highest performing countries.

Pupil Referral Units

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many pupils in schools in England were referred to a pupil referral unit in 2011-12.

Elizabeth Truss: The latest data on pupils attending pupil referral units is given in the following table.
	
		
			 Pupil referral units in England: number of pupils(1) January 2011 to January 2013 
			 As at January each year Total number of pupils as at January attending pupil referral units(2) Total number of pupils attending a pupil referral unit, but also registered elsewhere eg at a school 
			 2011 14,050 9,125 
			 2012 13,495 9,145 
			 2013 12,950 9,425 
			 (1) From Tables 1b and 2a of the 'Schools, pupils and their characteristics: January 2013' Statistical First Release at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2013 (2) Includes pupils who are sole or dual main registrations and pupils registered in pupil referral units, but attending further education colleges or other providers. 
		
	
	To determine the number of pupils referred to a pupil referral unit in 2011-12 would incur disproportionate cost.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the pupil premium; and what methodology was used for that assessment.

David Laws: In July the Department for Education will publish the findings of an independent evaluation of the pupil premium. The evaluation was commissioned in June 2012 and has been conducted by a consortium led by TNS-BMRB. The report will provide evidence on how schools have used the pupil premium and will give details of the research methodology.
	On publication, a copy of the report will be placed in the House Library.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of correlations between educational attainment levels and (a) location within a rural community, (b) access to extra-curricular activities and (c) other lifestyle factors.

David Laws: Information on pupil attainment by the degree of rurality of pupil residence is published each year in the Department's statistical first releases (SFR).
	Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) attainment of pupils by the degree of rurality of pupil residence is available in table A2 of the ‘EYFSP attainment by pupil characteristics in England: academic year 2011 to 2012’ SFR, which can be found at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eyfsp-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics-in-england-academic-year-2011-to-2012
	Table A2 can be found within the ‘Pupil residency tables: SFR30/2012’ link.
	Key stage 1 pupil attainment by the degree of rurality of pupil residence is available in table A2 of the ‘Phonics screening check and national curriculum assessments at key stage 1 in England: 20121 SFR, which can be found at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phonics-screening-check-and-national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-1-in-england-2012
	Table A2 can be found within the ‘KS1—local authority and pupil residency based tables: SFR21/2012’ link.
	Key stage 2 attainment of pupils by the degree of rurality of pupil residence is available in table A2 of the ‘National curriculum assessments at key stage 2 in England: academic year 2011 to 2012’ SFR, which can be found at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-assessments-at-key-stage-2-in-england-academic-year-2011-to-2012
	Table A2 can be found within the ‘Pupil residency and school location based tables: SFR33/2012’ link.
	Key stage 4 attainment of pupils by the degree of rurality of pupil residence is available in table A2 of the ‘GCSE and equivalent attainment by pupil characteristics in England: 2011 to 2012’ SFR, which can be found at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gcse-and-equivalent-attainment-by-pupil-characteristics-in-england
	Table A2 can be found within the ‘Pupil residency and school location based tables: SFR04/2013’ link.
	Information on attainment by access to extra-curricular activities is not held by the Department.
	The publication ‘DCSF: Youth Cohort Study and Longitudinal Study of Young People in England: The Activities and Experiences of 16 Year Olds: England 2007’ gives information on the correlation between attainment and factors such as: risky behaviours; parental occupation; parental qualifications;-truanting, frequency of family evening meals; parental knowledge of child location in the evening; and frequency of curfew setting. This publication can be found at the following link:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110206154043/http:/education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SBU/b000795/index.shtml
	Tables 3.2.2, 4.1.1, 4.1.2, 5.2.1, 5.2.2, 5.2.3 and chart-4.2.2 hold the relevant data within this publication. A summary of the statistics can be found within the PDF link on the webpage. These tables can be found within the ‘Additional information’ Excel link labelled as ‘All tables and charts as they appear in the Bulletin’. The 2008 update to this publication includes information on the correlation between attainment and factors such as: the likelihood of voting in the next general election; disability; exclusion from school; truancy in Year 11; and parental occupation. This can be found within the ‘DCSF: Youth Cohort Study and Longitudinal Study of Young People in England: The Activities and Experiences of 17 year olds: England 2008’ publication, which can be found at the following link:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110206154043/http:/education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SBU/b000850/index.shtml
	Tables 4.1.1, 4.2.1 and chart 2.2.7 hold the relevant data within this publication. A summary of the statistics can be found within the PDF link on the webpage. These tables can be found within the ‘Additional information’ Excel link.
	The 2009 update to this publication includes information on the correlation between attainment and factors such as: parental occupation; parental education; disability; exclusion from school; and living arrangements in Year 11. It can be found within the ‘DfE: Youth Cohort Study and Longitudinal Study of Young People in England: The Activities and Experiences of 18 year olds: England 2009’ publication. This can be found at the following link:
	http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110206154043/http:/education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SBU/b000937/index.shtml
	Tables 2.2.1 and 2.2.2 hold relevant data within this publication. A summary of the statistics can be found within the PDF link on the webpage. These tables can be found within the ‘Additional information' Excel link labelled as ‘(All tables and charts contained within Bulletin in excel format)’.
	The 2010 update to this publication includes information on the correlation between attainment and lifestyle factors such as: parental occupation; disability, exclusion from school; and whether pupils had their own child. It can be found within the ‘Youth cohort study and longitudinal study of young people in England: the activities and experiences of 19-year-olds—2010’ publication, which can be found at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/youth-cohort-study-and-longitudinal-study-of-young-people-in-england-the-activities-and-experiences-of-19-year-olds-2010
	Tables 1.2.1,1.2.2 and A.1.1 hold relevant data reported within this publication. A summary of the statistics can be found within the ‘Main text: B01/201V link on the webpage. These tables can be found within the ‘Main tables: B01/2011’ link.

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of reasons for differences in attainment levels between schools in rural communities and schools in large cities.

David Laws: “Educational Attainment in Rural Areas”, a report published in 2009 by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), examined the apparent difference in performance between urban and rural pupils(1). In line with evidence from the annual Statistical First Releases of the Department for Education, this report found that rural pupils had slightly higher attainment at key stage 3. Once socio-economic background was taken into account, there was virtually no difference in attainment.
	However, the research did find that some groups, such as pupils whose mothers have lower levels of qualifications, are making less progress in rural than urban areas. This problem is also highlighted by the recent Ofsted report “Unseen Children: access and achievement 20 years on”, which has found that there may be regional differences in terms of outcomes, particularly for pupils from low income backgrounds(2).
	The Government is considering Ofsted's recommendations and will respond in due course. Closing the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is at the heart of the Government's reforms. That is why we introduced the pupil premium, worth £2.5 billion per year by 2015, to target additional funding for disadvantaged pupils. Every child eligible for the pupil premium attracts the same £900 additional funding, no matter where they live in the country.
	(1) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment data/file/189847/DEFRA-2009-12-02.pdf.pdf
	(2)http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/a-and-a/Unseen%20children%20-%20access%20and%20achievement%2020%20years%20on.pdf

Pupils: Disadvantaged

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to improve attainment levels of children entitled to free school meals.

David Laws: The Government believes that it is unacceptable for children's achievement at school and success in life to be constrained by economic disadvantage. This is why in April 2011 we introduced the pupil premium: additional funding for schools to raise the attainment of pupils who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the past six years and for children in care who have been looked after by a local authority continuously for more than six months. The grant is worth £900 per pupil for 2013-14, and the total pupil premium will amount to £2.5 billion in 2014-15.
	Since the pupil premium was introduced, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils has improved. Results for 2012, the first year to reflect the impact of a full year of pupil premium, showed a larger than expected narrowing of attainment gaps nationally for both key stage 2 and key stage 4.
	The Education Endowment Foundation also administers £125 million on behalf of the Department to fund research into innovative approaches to raising attainment.

School Meals

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to publish the School Food Plan.

Elizabeth Truss: The independent reviewers, Henry Dimbleby and John Vincent, are continuing their work on the School Food Plan. It is expected that the Plan will be published soon.

Schools: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether any officials of his Department have visited schools in (a) Cumbria, (b) West Cumbria and (c) Copeland constituency.

Elizabeth Truss: Comprehensive information on officials’ visits is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The Department can confirm there have been at least three visits to schools in Cumbria, including schools in the Copeland constituency, over the past 12 months.

Schools: Holidays

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2013, what provision has been made for parents whose contracts of employment state that they cannot take time off during school holiday periods to be granted leave of absence to take their children on holiday during term time.

Elizabeth Truss: The Government has not made any special arrangements for parents who cannot take time off work during school holidays. Head teachers still have the discretion to grant leave of absence during term time but only in exceptional circumstances.

Social Enterprises

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many of his Department's suppliers are social enterprises.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department is unable to answer the question as information on the status of suppliers is not held on the Department's finance system and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Truancy

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many days were missed due to unauthorised absence from schools in (a) Cannock Chase constituency and (b) Staffordshire in each of the last five years.

Elizabeth Truss: Information on unauthorised absence from 2007/08 to 2011/12 is shown in the tables.
	The latest data on absence, for the school year, is published in the 'Pupil Absence in Schools in England, Including Pupil Characteristics: 2011/12' Statistical First Release.(1)
	(1) Available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-england-including-pupil-characteristics
	
		
			 State-funded primary, state-funded secondary and special schools(1,)()(2,)()(3,)()(4): the number of days missed through unauthorised absence and unauthorised absence rates, England, Staffordshire local authority and Cannock Chase constituency, 2007/08 to 2011/12 
			  England 
			  State-funded primary schools(1, )(2) State-funded secondary schools(1,)()(3) Special schools(4) All schools(1,)()(2,)()(3,)()(4) 
			  Days missed due to unauthorised absence(5) Unauthorised absence rate(6) Days missed due to unauthorised absence(5) Unauthorised absence rate(6) Days missed due to unauthorised absence(5) Unauthorised absence rate(6) Days missed due to unauthorised absence(5) Unauthorised absence rate(6) 
			 2007/08 2,847,740 0.6 6,553,900 1.5 225,990 2.2 9,627,620 1.0 
			 2008/09 3,178,660 0.6 6,501,070 1.5 232,540 2.1 9,912,270 1.1 
			 2009/10 3,332,700 0.7 6,297,870 1.4 216,660 2.0 9,847,230 1.0 
			 2010/11 3,543,500 0.7 6,236,370 1.4 225,630 2.0 10,005,500 1.1 
		
	
	
		
			 2011/12 3,459,320 0.7 5,752,050 1.3 225,270 2.0 9,436,640 1.0 
		
	
	
		
			  Staffordshire local authority 
			  State-funded primary schools(1,)()(2) State-funded secondary schools(1,)()(3) Special schools(4) All schools(1,)()(2,)()(3,)()(4) 
			  Days missed due to unauthorised absence(5) Unauthorised absence rate(6) Days missed due to unauthorised absence(5) Unauthorised absence rate(6) Days missed due to unauthorised absence(5) Unauthorised absence rate(6) Days missed due to unauthorised absence(5) Unauthorised absence rate(6) 
			 2007/08 16,880 0.2 69,690 0.9 2,640 1.2 89,210 0.6 
			 2008/09 20,100 0.3 60,960 0.8 2,340 1.1 83,390 0.5 
			 2009/10 22,020 0.3 59,720 0.8 1,820 0.9 83,550 0.5 
			 2010/11 21,880 0.3 61,820 0.8 2,120 1.0 85,810 0.6 
			 2011/12 22,150 0.3 59,670 0.8 1,760 0.8 83,570 0.5 
		
	
	
		
			  Cannock Chase constituency 
			  State-funded primary schools(1,)()(2) State-funded secondary schools(1,)()(3) Special schools(4) All schools(1, )(2,)()(3,)()(4) 
			  Days missed due to unauthorised absence(5) Unauthorised absence rate(6) Days missed due to unauthorised absence(5) Unauthorised absence rate(6) Days missed due to unauthorised absence(5) Unauthorised absence rate(6) Days missed due to unauthorised absence(5) Unauthorised absence rate(6) 
			 2007/08 4,040 0.4 14,270 1.5 160 0.6 18,470 0.9 
			 2008/09 4,610 0.5 11,720 1.3 210 0.8 16,540 0.9 
			 2009/10 5,640 0.6 12,010 1.3 210 0.8 17,850 1.0 
			 2010/11 5,380 0.6 11,400 1.4 50 0.2 16,830 1.0 
			 2011/12 4,660 0.5 13,600 1.5 70 0.2 18,330 1.0 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes primary academies. (3) Includes city technology colleges and secondary academies. (4) Includes maintained special schools, non-maintained special schools and special academies. Excludes general hospital schools. (5) Morning and afternoon registration sessions missed divided by two to give days missed. (6) The number of sessions missed due to unauthorised absence expressed as a percentage of the total number of possible sessions. Note: Number of days missed has been rounded to the nearest 10. Source: School Census

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts: Work Experience

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of unpaid interns working in the creative industries in (a) Paisley and Renfrewshire North constituency, (b) Glasgow city, (c) Scotland, (d) London and (e) the UK.

Edward Vaizey: We have made no such estimate of the number of unpaid interns working in the creative industries across the UK. We want internship opportunities to be made available to talented young people from all backgrounds and encourage businesses to offer internships openly and transparently and to provide the appropriate financial support to ensure fair access. Maximising the overall number of opportunities is the best way to help young people get into work and realise their ambitions.

Arts: Work Experience

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to encourage businesses in the creative industries to pay all interns.

Edward Vaizey: As set out in our Social Mobility Strategy, we encourage businesses to offer internships openly and transparently and to provide the appropriate financial support to ensure fair access. This could either be payment of at least the appropriate national minimum wage rate, or reasonable out-of-pocket expenses where this is in compliance with national minimum wage law.
	There is no definition of an internship in minimum wage legislation. The key issue is whether or not interns are workers as defined by minimum wage legislation. If they are, then they are eligible for the minimum wage unless a specific exemption applies. Volunteers are not workers and are not eligible for the minimum wage. Voluntary workers are workers, however, they are exempt from the national minimum wage (NMW) entitlement provided certain conditions are met.
	The NMW worker checklist defines a worker under NMW legislation. This is available online by searching 'worker checklist' on
	www.gov.uk
	If all items on the checklist apply, you are a 'worker' who is entitled to the relevant NMW.
	Paying the national minimum wage is the law and not a choice, and the rules apply to all employers equally. When an intern makes a complaint to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline about their pay conditions, that case is-prioritised by HMRC to ensure their employer is complying with the law. Where that is not the case, HMRC will not hesitate to take action.

BBC Trust

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what meetings she has had with the Chairman of the BBC Trust since her appointment.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 17 June 2013
	The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller)’s, external meetings are published quarterly on the departmental website:
	http://www.transparency.culture.gov.uk/category/other/meetings/

Capita

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department currently spends on contracts with Capita; and how much was spent in each year since 2008.

Edward Vaizey: Please see the following table re Capita companies.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Capita Company 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Capita Symonds Ltd 0 0 0 0 63,375.60 
			 Capita Conferences 0 747.50 0 0 0 
			 Capita Learning and Development 1,056.32 0 0 0 11,172.55 
			 Capita Resourcing 27368.75 2,238.91 0 1,248.95 2,245,242.05 
			 Capita Business Travel Ltd 125,602.33 49,761.92 60,433.00 53,332.85 109,466.30 
			 Capita Health 5,489.17 0 253.51 80.78 0 
			 Total 159,516.57 52,748.33 60,686.51 54,662.58 2,429,256.50

Cultural Heritage

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the English Heritage open day scheme.

Edward Vaizey: Last year, 4,648 properties and activities attracted 2 million visitors, 1,422 organisations and 51,214 local organisers. 518,652 volunteer hours were devoted to the event. 99% of visitors enjoyed their experience, 93% felt inspired to visit other heritage sites, 63% experienced increased pride of their local area and heritage, and 51% wanted to find out more about their local area. Overall, 84% of sites reported more visitors than on normal days.

Cultural Heritage

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many open days there are annually in the English Heritage open day scheme.

Edward Vaizey: Heritage Open Days runs over four days. This year's Heritage Open Days will take place from 12 to 15 September. They cover the whole of England, excepting London where London Open House operates independently. Not all properties and activities participate on all four of the days.

Cultural Heritage

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what information her Department holds on the cost to English Heritage of running Heritage open days in 2013.

Edward Vaizey: holding answer 25 June 2013
	English Heritage's financial support for the Heritage Open Days National Partnership is £280,000 in the current financial year, as part of a four-year funding agreement that runs until March 2015.

Digital Broadcasting: North West

Jake Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what steps she has taken to improve the digital television signal for residents of (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Rossendale and Darwen constituency;
	(2)  what proportion of households in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Rossendale and Darwen constituency do not have any digital television coverage;
	(3)  what proportion of households in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Rossendale and Darwen constituency received full digital television coverage;
	(4)  what proportion of households in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Rossendale and Darwen constituency received limited digital television coverage.

Edward Vaizey: Ofcom estimates that 98.5% of UK households have access to 17 public service broadcasting digital terrestrial (DTT) channels and just under 90% of UK households are also able to receive these and additional channels. Around 1.5% of UK households cannot easily receive digital terrestrial television, with less than 0.5% not able to receive DTT services at all. However, DTT, cable and satellite digital television services together cover practically 100% of UK households, so that in all but the most exceptional of cases, everyone should be able to get digital television, by one means or another. There are no plans to require broadcasters to improve coverage, above the levels agreed for Digital Switchover in 2006.
	The current DTT coverage figures for the north-west region (the Granada area), Lancashire and the Rosendale and Darwen constituency are set out in the table.
	
		
			 Percentage 
			  DTT services  
			 Households Three PSB multiplexes All six national multiplexes (including three PSB multiplexes) No DTT services 
			 Granada TV region 99.6 95.9 0.4 
			 Lancashire 99 95 1 
			 Rossendale and Darwen 99.9 72.3 0.1 
		
	
	Ofcom estimates that 99.9% of households in the Rossendale and Darwen, are able to receive the public service broadcasting DTT channels and 72.3% are able to receive all DTT channels. Commercial DTT channels in the constituency area are broadcast only from larger transmitters such as the main Winter Hill transmitter near Bolton. Households in many parts of the constituency are therefore unable to receive signals from the Winter Hill transmitter due to the local terrain. In those areas, viewers receive signals from smaller relay transmitters that transmit only the public service broadcasting channels. In the constituency, 0.1% of households cannot receive any DTT coverage.

Social Enterprises

Chris White: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of her Department's suppliers are social enterprises.

Hugh Robertson: The Department does not currently record this information and the current system is set up in such a way that the information requested could only be compiled whilst incurring disproportionate costs.

World War I: Anniversaries

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to recognise the contribution of the Army Service Corps during the centenary commemorations of the Great War; and if she will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: The national first world war centenary commemoration will offer a diverse and inclusive programme of activities and opportunities, in which everyone can participate and commemorate aspects of the war of particular interest or significance to them.
	The national first world war centenary commemoration will offer a diverse and inclusive programme of activities such as six key events of national significance in which the military will play an appropriate part. The National programme offers the flexibility for others to organise their own event or events, and to be a part of this act of national remembrance.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she plans to answer question 158022, tabled on 31 May 2013 for answer on 4 June 2013.

Hugh Robertson: The response to PQ 158022 was published on 24 June 2013, Official Report, column 116W.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Finance

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 June 2013, Official Report, columns 782-4W, on agriculture: finance, what the reasons are for the increase in the level of funding to the Food and farming group business support between 2009-10 and 2011-12.

David Heath: In April 2011 a new executive agency was created which combined the old Animal Health Agency (AH) and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) into a single body, the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA). Upon the merger of these two executive agencies, an element of their sponsorship costs was reallocated to this programme line. There has been no increase to the other underlying programmes recorded against the food and farming group business support line.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what use his Department makes of social analytics and horizon scanning software to monitor public opinion on the badger cull; and if he will make a statement.

David Heath: DEFRA uses a commercially available web based software programme which enables social media analysis of approximately 40 topics at a time, including bovine TB and the pilot badger culls. The analysis helps DEFRA identify emerging issues and trends.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding he has made available for the development of an oral TB vaccine for badgers in each of the last three years; and what funding he plans to make available for this purpose in each of the next two years.

David Heath: The following funding has been made available for the development of the oral TB vaccine in badgers:
	
		
			 Financial year £ 
			 2010-11 2,476,273 
			 2011-12 2,127,448 
			 2012-13 1,684,948 
		
	
	The anticipated funding for this financial year and next financial year are as follows:
	2013-14 financial year—approximately £2 million
	2014-15 financial year—approximately £1.6 million

Bovine Tuberculosis

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the total cost including policing of the badger cull programme for each badger killed.

David Heath: The badger control policy is based on a cost-sharing approach with the farming industry. The industry will be responsible for the operational costs of delivering culling and DEFRA will bear the costs of licensing, monitoring and policing the policy. The costs to Government for a typical 350 km2 area over a period of four years as set out in the impact assessment are:
	£0.4 million for licensing;
	£0.7 million for monitoring;
	£2 million for policing;
	£0.1 million in relation to an increase in TB incidents in the neighbouring area.
	We would expect these costs to be offset by savings as a result of reduced TB incidence within the control areas and in neighbouring areas, extending for five years beyond the culling period. The Government currently bears the majority of the cost of TB incidents by paying for TB testing and compensation for slaughtered animals.

Conditions of Employment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff were retained on zero-hour contracts by (a) his Department and (b) the Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The number of staff retained on zero-hours contracts was as follows:
	
		
			 Body 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Core DEFRA 0 0 0 
			 Executive agencies and NDPBs 55 49 48

Dangerous Dogs

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dog attacks have been reported to police in each of the last five years.

David Heath: These statistics are not held centrally and would be held by each police force. They could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Dangerous Dogs

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department is taking to tackle dog on dog attacks.

David Heath: On 9 February, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced a package of measures to tackle irresponsible ownership of dogs. Included in the package was the extension of the criminal offence of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control to all places; a requirement, from April 2016, for all dogs to be microchipped; and that the new early intervention measures to deal with anti-social behaviour will apply to such instances where they involve a dog. The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill is currently before Parliament and contains clauses that will extend the criminal offence to all places and the appropriate antisocial behaviour measures. The Bill will also make it an offence to allow a dog to attack an assistance dog. I therefore consider that the necessary measures for tackling all instances of irresponsible ownership of dogs, including where a dog attacks another dog, are being taken forward by this Government.

Dangerous Dogs

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many reported dog attacks have led to a successful prosecution in each of the last five years.

David Heath: The numbers of prosecutions and convictions for the four offences under section 3 of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 for the last five years are set out in the following table:
	
		
			 Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under Sections 3(1) and 3(3) of the 
			 Offence Outcome 2008(3) 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place, no injury being caused(4) Proceeded against 356 379 365 267 282 
			  Found guilty 239 249 241 186 211 
			 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to be dangerously out of control in a public place injuring any person(4) Proceeded against 675 614 845 842 899 
			  Found guilty 481 445 598 620 703 
			 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to enter a non-public place causing reasonable apprehension of injury to a person(5) Proceeded against 20 18 19 20 16 
			  Found guilty 10 12 15 14 13 
			 Owner or person in charge allowing dog to enter a non-public place and injure any person(5) Proceeded against 44 60 67 41 51 
			  Found Guilty 33 39 45 31 35 
			 (1) The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008. (4) An offence under S.3(1) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. (5) An offence under S.3(3) of the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice.

Disciplinary Proceedings

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff were suspended from his Department and its associated public bodies on full pay in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and what costs were incurred as a result of such suspensions.

Richard Benyon: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			 Numbers of permanent staff suspended on full pay and the costs(1) associated with that suspension 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Organisation Number £ Number £ Number £ 
			 Core DEFRA 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratory Agency 1 16,330 0 0 1 5,883 
			 Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Rural Payments Agency 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Veterinary Medicines Directorate 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Food and Environment Research Agency 1 2,876 1 4,935 1 24,304 
			 Agriculture and Horticulture Delivery Board 0 0 1 857.97 0 0 
			 Commission for Rural Communities (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (3)n/a (3)n/a 
			 Consumer Council for Water 1 1,429.76 0 0 0 0 
			 Environment Agency (4)— (4)— (4)— (4)— (4)— (4)— 
			 Gangmasters Licensing Authority 3 19,084.25 1 3,244.58 0 0 
			 Joint Nature Conservation Committee 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Marine Management Organisation 1 20,110.80 0 0 0 0 
			 National Forest Company 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Natural England 0 0 0 0 1 4,066.76 
			 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew 1 590 0 0 0 0 
			 Sea Fish Industry Authority 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Sustainable Development Commission (5)— (5)— (5)— (5)— (5)— (5)— 
			 Covent Garden Market Authority 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (1) Costs associated with the suspension include salary, ERNIC (national insurance) and pension costs. (2) It would incur disproportionate cost to provide this data. (3) Abolished March 2013. (4 )It would incur disproportionate cost to provide this information. (5) Abolished March 2011. It would incur disproportionate cost to provide this data.

Domestic Waste: Recycling

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which local authorities in England have stopped conducting doorstep recycling collections as stipulated under the Household Recycling Act 2003.

Richard Benyon: All waste collection authorities have made arrangements for source separated or co-mingled collection of waste from the doorstep or kerbside. In some local authority areas, a very small number of households may not receive a kerbside collection service due to cost, access or location issues, or because alternative arrangements have been made. Information on the small number of households which may not receive a doorstep or kerbside collection service is not held by DEFRA.

Flood Control

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding his Department has made available for the development of new flood protection technologies in each of the last three years; which specific new technologies have been granted such funding; and which parts of the UK have benefited from that funding.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA does not provide direct grant in aid for the development of new flood protection technologies, as it would contravene competition legislation. Flood risk management authorities are in a much better position to decide which technologies will work best to manage flood risk in their area.
	The Property Level Grant schemes operated by DEFRA and the Environment Agency between 2009 and 2012 stimulated the market for innovative products. Amongst the innovations to emerge during this period were flood proof doors.
	DEFRA aims to build public confidence in products and technologies through the development of testing and standards. In 2003 we sponsored the development of a British Standard (PAS1188), which provided independent verification of the effectiveness of property level flood management technology.
	Government funding is channelled to specific areas as grant in aid through Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, which can prioritise cost beneficial schemes on the basis of local need. The Lead Local Flood Authority or the Environment Agency can develop local schemes to access this funding.

Fly-tipping

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the prevalence of fly-tipping; and if he will commission a review of steps to prevent it.

Richard Benyon: In 2011-12, local authorities in England reported over 744,000 fly-tipping incidents to the Environment Agency's Flycapture database. The estimated cost to local authorities of clearing fly-tipped waste from public land was £37.4 million.
	Following our 2011 Review of Waste Policy in England, the Government has been taking action to tackle and prevent fly-tipping including:
	cracking down on waste criminals by working with the Sentencing Council to ensure fines and sentences act as a real deterrent to offending.
	supporting and working with the DEFRA-chaired National Fly-tipping Prevention Group. The Group has helped develop a draft Fly-tipping Partnership Framework outlining best practice for the prevention, reporting, investigation and clearance of fly-tipping. The Framework is currently being finalised ahead of publication.
	funding two pilot projects in Suffolk and Swindon during 2013-14 to test some of the best practice options outlined in the Framework.

Hunting Act 2004

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he plans to bring forward proposals for a statutory instrument allowing more than two hounds to pursue a fox towards guns under the Hunting Act 2004.

Richard Benyon: The Government currently has no plans to amend the Hunting Act. The Government has said that it will bring forward a motion on whether the Hunting Act 2004 should be repealed. To date, no time scale has been set for this work.

Nature Conservation

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government plans to take to implement the commitment in the Prime Minister's recent G8 communiqué statement to tackle the illegal trafficking of protected or endangered wildlife species.

Richard Benyon: HRH the Prince of Wales and the Government co-hosted a meeting on 21 May with key governments and other partners. This identified three key areas for action: law enforcement and criminal justice issues; reducing demand for ivory and rhino horn; and supporting the development of alternative livelihoods in affected communities.
	The Government will host a high-level international meeting in late autumn to secure commitment from governments and the international community at the highest level to combat illegal wildlife trade. At the same time the Government is assessing the actions of all relevant departments and agencies to provide a co-ordinated cross-government approach to ensure the UK is playing a full part.

Public Expenditure

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the equality impact of his Department's spending reductions since 2010; whether this assessment has been used to inform his planning ahead of the 2013 comprehensive spending review and with what result; what plans he has to publish the equality impact assessments undertaken by his Department as a result of the upcoming comprehensive spending review; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA considers equality issues in exercising its functions, including in setting priorities within its budget, in order to comply with equality legislation and to ensure it understands how its activities will affect specific groups in society.
	DEFRA provided HM Treasury with an equalities assessment of its main areas of expenditure both before and during the spending round process.
	DEFRA's overall spending round submission was informed by its own equality assessments and by the SR equalities assessment commissioned by HMT.
	The assessment of equalities feeds into both spending round decisions and future decisions by DEFRA. The outcome of the spending round is published today 26 June 2013.

Termination of Employment

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions (a) a compromise agreement, (b) a confidentiality clause and (c) judicial mediation was used when an employee of (i) his Department and (ii) the public bodies for which he is responsible left their employment in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12 and (C) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Number of occasions 
			  2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Core DEFRA    
			 Compromise Agreement 0 0 0 
			 Confidentiality clause 0 0 0 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency    
			 Compromise Agreement 1 1 1 
			 Confidentiality clause 0 0 0 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture    
			 Compromise Agreement 0 0 0 
			 Confidentiality clause 0 0 0 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 Food and Environment Research Agency    
			 Compromise Agreement 0 0 1 
			 Confidentiality clause 0 0 1 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 Rural Payments Agency    
			 Compromise Agreement 1 2 4 
			 Confidentiality clause 1 2 4 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
		
	
	
		
			 Veterinary Medicines Directorate    
			 Compromise Agreement 0 0 0 
			 Confidentiality clause 0 0 0 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board    
			 Compromise Agreement 2 1 0 
			 Confidentiality clause 0 0 0 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 Commission for Rural Communities    
			 Compromise Agreement (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Confidentiality clause (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Judicial Mediation (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			     
			 Consumer Council for Water    
			 Compromise Agreement 0 0 0 
			 Confidentiality clause 0 0 0 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 Environment Agency    
			 Compromise Agreement 17 15 6 
			 Confidentiality clause 17 15 6 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 Gangmasters Licensing Authority    
			 Compromise Agreement 1 1 1 
			 Confidentiality clause 0 0 0 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 Joint Nature Conservation Council    
			 Compromise Agreement 0 0 0 
			 Confidentiality clause 1 0 0 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 Marine Management Organisation    
			 Compromise Agreement 1 0 0 
			 Confidentiality clause 1 0 0 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 National Forest Company    
			 Compromise Agreement 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Confidentiality clause 0 0 0 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 Natural England    
			 Compromise Agreement 0 1 0 
			 Confidentiality clause 0 0 0 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 Royal Botanical Gardens Kew    
			 Compromise Agreement 1 0 0 
			 Confidentiality clause 0 0 0 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 Sea Fish Industry Authority    
			 Compromise Agreement 0 0 0 
			 Confidentiality clause 0 0 0 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			     
			 Sustainable Development Commission    
			 Compromise Agreement (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Confidentiality clause (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Judicial Mediation (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			     
			 Covent Garden Market Authority    
			 Compromise Agreement 0 2 0 
			 Confidentiality clause 0 2 0 
			 Judicial Mediation 0 0 0 
			 (1) Abolished March 2013. It would incur disproportionate cost to provide this data. (2) Abolished March 2011. It would incur disproportionate cost to provide this data.

Training

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible enrolled in publicly-funded training courses in each of the last five years; what the total cost has been of such courses; and what the monetary value was of the 10 highest training course fees in each such year.

Richard Benyon: The information required to answer this question in full is not held in a way that would allow all aspects of it to be answered other than at disproportionate cost.
	The following tables show the data that is available:
	
		
			 Core DEFRA 
			 £ 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Officials (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Total cost (2)2,814,175.24 (2)2,355,472.11 (2)2,447,333.37 (2)1,617,912.45 (2)1,736,050.00 
			 10 highest spend (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 (1 )The figures are either not held or held in a way that to provide an accurate answer would be at disproportionate cost. (2 )These are figures for spend logged under training account codes. This expenditure could be for a variety of reasons from actual training courses to booking course venues. 
		
	
	
		
			 Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board 
			 £ 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Officials (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Total cost (1)— (1)— (1)— 36,239 47,549 
			 10 highest spend (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 (1 )The figures are either not held or held in a way that to provide an accurate answer would be at disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	Commission for Rural Communities
	The figures are either not held or held in a way that to provide an accurate answer would be at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Consumer Council for Water 
			 £ 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Officials (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Total cost (2)86,941 (2)68,417 (2)37,256 (2)34,279 30,033 
			 10 highest spend (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 (1 )The figures are either not held or held in a way that to provide an accurate answer would be at disproportionate cost. (2) Figures include costs incurred as a result of attending training courses such as accommodation expenses. To disaggregate these from total spent on the actual courses could only be done at disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	
		
			 Environment Agency 
			 £ 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Officials (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Total cost (1)— (1)— (2)2,546,240 (2)4,431,208 (2)6,011,267 
			 10 highest spend (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 (1 )The figures are either not held or held in a way that to provide an accurate answer would be at disproportionate cost (2 )These figures are the total annual spend on Learning and Development for the Environment Agency. This covers a wide range of types of development and includes associated costs such as booking course venues. To disaggregate these figures could only be done at disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	
		
			 Gangmasters Licensing Authority 
			 £ 
			  2008-09 2009-10- 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Officials (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Total cost (2)49,014.28 (2)49,418.24 (2)23,001.09 (2)18,360.22 (2)18,884.80 
			 10 highest spend (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 (1 )The figures are either not held or held in a way that to provide an accurate answer would be at disproportionate cost. (2) Figures include costs incurred as a result of attending training courses such as accommodation expenses. To disaggregate these from total spent on the actual courses could only be done at disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	
		
			 Joint Nature Conservation Committee 
			 £ 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Officials (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Total cost 56,491 53,209 77,559 85,345 66,535 
			 10 highest spend 1,527.50 2,006.65 2,191.38 3,060.00 1,214.10 
			  1,360.00 1,756.63 1,590.00 3,060.00 1,194.00 
			  1,134.58 1,116.25 1,285.00 1,700.00 1,050.00 
			  1,103.33 1,116.25 1,285.00 1,194.00 948.00 
			  985.83 992.87 1,285.00 1,125.00 948.00 
			  887.97 810.75 1,140.00 1,080.00 948.00 
			  881.25 803.00 1,086.50 954.00 939.60 
			  869.08 750.00 992.87 954.00 760.00 
			  837.20 701.50 900.00 948.00 720.00 
			  805.00 690.00 889.13 948.00 720.00 
			 (1 )The figures are either not held or held in a way that to provide an accurate answer would be at disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	
		
			 Marine Management Organisation 
			 £ 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Officials (2)— (2)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Total cost (2)— (2)— (3)263,000 (3)336,000 (3)260,000 
			 (1 )The figures are either not held or held in a way that to provide an accurate answer would be at disproportionate cost. (2) This body was not operating during these years. (3) Figures include costs incurred as a result of attending training courses such as accommodation expenses. To disaggregate these from total spent on the actual courses could only be done at disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	
		
			 National Forest Company 
			 £ 
			  2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 
			 Officials (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Total cost 7,413 3,985 9,213 5,486 14,065 
			 10 highest spend (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 (1 )The figures are either not held or held in a way that to provide an accurate answer would be at disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	
		
			 Natural England 
			 £ 
			  2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 
			 Officials (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Total cost (2)1,158,723 (2)1,480,170 (2)1,221,962 (2)340,068 (2)547,385 
			 10 highest spend (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 (1 )The figures are either not held or held in a way that to provide an accurate answer would be at disproportionate cost. (2) Figures include costs incurred as a result of attending training courses such as accommodation expenses. To disaggregate these from total spent on the actual courses could only be done at disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	
		
			 Royal Botanic Gardens Kew 
			 £ 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Officials (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Total cost (2)107,209 (2)100,882 (2)89,364 (2)158,940 (2)122,427 
			 10 highest spend (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 (1 )The figures are either not held or held in a way that to provide an accurate answer would be at disproportionate cost. (2) Figures include costs incurred as a result of attending training courses such as accommodation expenses. To disaggregate these from total spent on the actual courses could only be done at disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	
		
			 Seafish Industry Authority 
			 £ 
			  2008-09 2009-1-0 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Officials (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 Total cost 61,370.09 33,605.04 1,428.60 10,165.95 27,531.58 
			 10 highest spend (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— (1)— 
			 (1) The figures are either not held or held in a way that to provide an accurate answer would be at disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	
		
			 Sustainable Development Commission 
			 £ 
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 Officials (1)— 22 28 (2)— (2)— 
			 Total cost (1)— 12,575.41 13,721.29 (2)— (2)— 
			 10 highest spend (1)— 1,897.50 925 (2)— (2)— 
			  (1)— 1,610 700 (2)— (2)— 
			  (1)— 999.00 665 (2)— (2)— 
			  (1)— 942.40 558.13 (2)— (2)— 
			  (1)— 665 500 (2)— (2)— 
			  (1)— 595 500 (2)— (2)— 
			  (1)— 540 500 (2)— (2)— 
			  (1)— 540 500 (2)— (2)— 
			  (1)— 488.15 500 (2)— (2)— 
			  (1)— 488.15 500 (2)— (2)— 
			 (1) The figures are either not held or held in a way that to provide an accurate answer would be at disproportionate cost. (2 )This body was not operating during this year.

Tyres: Waste Disposal

David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate has been made of how many waste tyres are currently stockpiled across the UK; and what information his Department holds on the locations where these are held.

Richard Benyon: It is not possible to determine how many tyres are stockpiled in England.
	There are 60 sites that have environmental permits that allow the treatment, including recycling, of waste tyres. This does not include transfer stations and civic amenity sites, where small numbers of tyres may be accepted for storage and then subsequent onward transport.
	Tyres are also managed at an additional 4,450 sites that are registered with the Environment Agency as exempt from the need for an environmental permit. These sites are not required to submit records of the waste handled. Both permitted and exempt sites are subject to limits on the quantity of waste tyres stored and/or processed, but the Environment Agency does not have data on the total quantity of tyres stockpiled at these sites.
	The Environment Agency is also aware of 47 sites that are handling waste tyres illegally without the relevant environmental permit or exemption. The Environment Agency is actively investigating these sites with a view to taking appropriate enforcement action.